


A Challenge Unexpected

by TheBeardedOne



Series: Harry Of El [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Superman - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 91,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27770593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeardedOne/pseuds/TheBeardedOne
Summary: With a revived competition coming to Hogwarts during his fourth year, the Last Mage of Krypton is caught in a challenge unexpected.
Series: Harry Of El [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030536
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. What Has Gone Before

**Part One**

_The Kryptonian Scientist Jor-El, having discovered that his homeworld was about to undergo a cataclysmic disaster that would destroy all life on it, chose to send his only child to a distant planet to save his life._

_Escaping the destruction of Krypton, the young Kal-El landed outside the family home of the Potters, where he was taken in by James Potter and blood-adopted, replacing the stillborn Harry Potter and being given his name. Lily Potter was unaware of the substitution thanks to a memory charm placed on her by James and apart from Sirius Black, who had opened the transport pod and provided the ritual required for the adoption, no-one else knew that the baby was anything other than the trueborn son of James and Lily._

_The next upheaval in his life came a bit over a year later when the magical terrorist, the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort, heard part of a prophecy which he interpreted to mean that Harry was prophesised to defeat him. Seeking to break the prophecy, he managed to track the Potter family down, despite the secrecy charms protecting them, and proceeded to kill both James and Lily Potter. However, his efforts came to naught when he attempted to slay young Harry and his magic backlashed, destroying his body and causing his spirit to flee._

_Placed with his relatives on his mother's side, Harry grew up unloved and effectively ignored. His cousin tried to bully him, but Harry's Kryptonian heritage proved to be a potent counter and with only a few demonstrations of his inhuman strength and toughness, Harry and the Dursleys reached an agreement, limiting their interactions to the bare minimum required while Harry raised money for himself by working as a paperboy for a local newsagent._

_The status quo was shattered on the day that Harry's Hogwarts Letter arrived and Harry, not knowing of his heritage or inheritance, wrote back to say that he did not believe that he could afford to attend. In response, the half-goblin Charms Teacher Filius Flitwick set out to help Harry claim that which legally belonged to him and prepare for his years at Hogwarts._

_During his introduction to the Magical World, Harry arranged to be emancipated, an act which shattered the protective wards around his former home. Alerted to the removal of the protections he had put in place a decade prior, Albus Dumbledore traveled to Little Whinging where he discovered that the assumptions that he had made about the Dursleys taking Harry in as a member of their family had been in error, a mistake compounded by the fact that the Dursleys had not known (or been able to collect) the stipend intended to offset the increased household costs. To make amends, Albus arranged for the entirety of the planned stipend to be delivered to the Dursleys, who promptly used it to move to a new home, one without the memories of their unwanted guest._

_For Harry, life was looking up. He had located the site of his family's home (prior to it being burned down) and arranged for it to be rebuilt, but he also discovered something else. In a secret basement was the rocket ship that had brought him to Earth, a rocket ship containing an AI based on his father. After learning about his true origins, Harry concealed the rocket ship and prepared to go to Hogwarts._

_At Hogwarts, Harry was sorted into Ravenclaw along with his two newest friends, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. Together, they began their education in the ways of magic, aiding each other whenever they could and eventually offering help to others via a study group._

_Harry and Hermione's friendship was cemented firmly after Harry rescued her from a Troll at Halloween. Although Harry used his more-than-human abilities to take down the Troll, Hermione finally decided that it had to have been a form of on-purpose accidental-magic, a conclusion that Harry happily went along with._

_One of the ripples of the Troll incident was that Harry was allowed to try out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team (after three of the former players had been officially stripped of their positions), earning the position of Keeper. After his first match, his reputation for being able to block every single attempt at scoring spread throughout Hogwarts and beyond. Despite his abilities, though, it was Gryffindor that managed to secure the Quidditch Trophy._

_Harry also discovered that a magical relic had been hidden in Hogwarts and soon had a fairly good idea of the obstacles protecting it. This proved useful when Hermione was dragged into the gauntlet by the spirit of Voldemort and its host, Harry was able to race through the challenges, almost without slowing, and defeat the Dark Lord with an uppercut that sent his borrowed body into the ceiling._

_Due to being knocked out by Voldemort after she had failed to procure the Stone for him, Hermione did not remember much of what had occurred while Neville had been hit by an Obliviate that ensured that he didn't even know that Hermione had been in any danger._

_To Harry's surprise, Hermione_ had _managed to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone and had concealed it from Voldemort. After she contacted the creator of the Stone, Nicholas Flamel, she received word that it was an enchanted fake and instructions on how to break the spells on it, leaving her with a lump of Mithril._

_After the end of the first Hogwarts year, Harry returned to the Pottery, where the AI Jor-El was waiting to greet him, having rebuilt the mansion to incorporate concealed Kryptonian technologies._

_However, the Wizarding World was still holding many surprises for the young Kryptonian…_

_._

**Part Two**

_With his ancestral family home not only rebuilt but augmented with Kryptonian technology, Harry made his entry into the political landscape with a summer ball during which he and his friend Neville Longbottom celebrated their birthdays. Soon after, it was time to head to Hogwarts, but his preparations were briefly interrupted by the appearance of a House Elf who warned him that he should not go due to a great danger._

_Ignoring the warning, Harry took the Floo to platform Nine and Three Quarters, only for_ something _to redirect him to another country. Fortunately, his Kryptonian AI Jor-El had finished constructing a stealth-capable shuttle which was promptly put into service to get Harry to Hogwarts._

_At the sorting feast, Hermione's two pen-pals joined her in Ravenclaw. Although Luna Lovegood was expected to join the House of Wit, Ginny Weasley came as a surprise to all, especially her family._

_The new DADA teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, proved to be spectacularly incompetent and Harry called him out on it. Using Kryptonian technology to learn the magics of his ancestors, Harry was able to defeat Lockhart in a public duel, forcing him to resign and be replaced by Narcissa Malfoy who proved to be a superior teacher._

_Proving herself very capable on a broom, Ginny joined the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as a Chaser._

_After Halloween, Harry encountered a Basilisk, which he knocked out with a single punch before having Jor-El transport it to the Pottery. Once free of the control spells, the Basilisk accepted Harry's offer of a home, regular meals and conversation in exchange for helping to protect the Pottery and its grounds. The fragment of Voldemort that had been controlling the Basilisk (via possession of Luna Lovegood) was discovered and destroyed. Although affected by the experience, Luna soon recovered with the help of her friendsand even joined them in becoming Animagi._

_However, Voldemort was not gone and another one of his Horcruxes allowed him to possess Lockhart. using his new body, Voldemort set a number of plans in motion, reaching out for new allies amongst the Vampires and Giants and striking down Igor Karkaroff, a former Death Eater who had betrayed him and moved to Bulgaria. Using the fact that very few knew that he had returned, Voldemort was able to access the Hall of Prophecies and gain full knowledge of the prophecy that Sybil Trelawny had made many years prior._

_Around the time that Voldemort infiltrated the Ministry of Magic, harry discovered that his Godfather had been unjustly imprisoned. Using the laws of the Magical World, he had his Godfather publicly tried (with Veritaserum), during which Sirius Black proved that he was innocent and that it had been Peter Pettigrew who had betrayed the Potters. With his animagus form publicly revealed, Pettigrew was forced to flee to Voldemort's side._

_Using a Vanishing Cabinet to bypass the wards, Voldemort had Harry kidnapped from Hogwarts and after binding him in magic-dampening manacles to prevent him from being able to use his wand, he prepared to kill Harry in front of all his followers. However, Harry was able to use his wandless Kryptonian magic to create a null-magic field around Voldemort and his followers, following it up by using his heritage to break the chains binding him and escape was aided by a well-timed rescue party consisting of an axe-wielding Filius Flitwick,a gun-firing Remus Lupin and the Animagi Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley and Sirius Black. While Albus Dumbledore was also present, the field that prevented external magic-use meant that he could only observe as the Death Eaters and their Allies were struck down._

_Only a few of the Death Eaters managed to escape. Severus Snape (who was secretly working for Dumbledore) transformed into a bird to escape while Peter Pettigrew used small tunnels he had created on a_ just in case _basis to flee. Lucius Malfoy didn't have a chance as he was killed when Voldemort dodged a fragment of metal thrown by Harry. While Voldemort managed to dodge, Lucius did not and the metal pierced both his mask and his skull. Despite his early escape, Voldemort did not survive for long as Harry used his own Animagi form to kill him._

_With the excitement behind them, Harry and his friends returned to Hogwarts to recover. When the year ended, Harry learned that Severus Snape and the NEWT-level students he was teaching had managed something thought impossible, a potion that would turn a Werewolf into a Wolf Animagus. Remus Lupin was the first to undergo the procedure and prove that it worked._

_Although things seemed settled, one of Harry's enemies had come into possession of yet another of Voldemort's Horcruxes…_

_._

_**Part Three** _

_The third year started out fairly quietly, but the peaceful outlook was shattered when Gellert Grindlewald was broken out of his cell in the Nurenburg Prison. Seeking to recapture his old enemy, Albus Dumbledore handed control of Hogwarts to Minerva MacGonogall and headed for the Orient where everyone believed that Gellert was going._

_Gellert, however, had actually been rescued by the resurrected Voldemort and with two of Voldemorts allies, one of whom was believed dead by the Wizarding World, they traveled to America to seek out and recruit the beings known as_ Obscurials _,abused children who had denied their magical power and ended up being transformed by it._

_In the UK, the Malfoy family discovered to their shock that they were no longer the wealthiest of all the British Wizarding Families. Lord-Apparent Draco responded by leaking information to a certain member of the Ministry of Magic that allowed her to put in motion a plan to seize the company owned and led by Lord Harry Potter via the use of regulations that had never been repealed. However, they had overlooked the fact that as an infant, Lord Potter had been awarded an Order of Merlin (Second Class), a fact which allowed him to stop the attempted seizure and use his victory to have the regulations in question removed from the statute books._

_The return of Voldemort was unexpected, bringing with him no less than five_ Obscurials _who, under the patient tutelage of Gellert Grindlewald, had learned how to control their transformations in such a way that changing between forms now helped them to heal rather than injure them. Using the undiscovered Vanishing Cabinet to bypass the Wards once more, Voldemort took the entire school hostage, save for Luna Lovegood who managed to escape and raise the alarm._

_By the time that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had reached Hogwarts, Voldemort had destroyed the Wardstone, replacing it with one of his own making. With only those wearing certain talismans able to use their wands within the new Wards and reinforcements from the ranks of the bigoted Purebloods coming to his side, Voldemort was understandably confident in his safety and took the time to try to interrogate Lord Potter, torturing him as he sought the knowledge of Potter's unusual magical skills. However, all he learned was that Harry had been blood-Adopted into the Potter family, a fact which convinced him that the Prophecy he had based so much on had actually been a fake._

_Extracted from Hogwarts by the robot Kelor via the use of the Switching Room hidden in his trunk, Harry was healed at the Pottery and made his way to Hogwarts where he joined the forces assembled under the leadership of Albus Dumbledore. Using his magic, he was able to bypass the security Wards, allowing the rescue force to enter the grounds of Hogwarts in an attempt to rescue the hostages. The inability of the rescuers to use Wands within the Wards was bypassed with the use of Staffs and other alternate magical foci or enchanted items._

_By the time the fighting was over, Voldemort and Gellert Grindlewald were both dead, as were many of their newest followers. The Slytherin Students who had decided to join Voldemort's forces escaped punishment due to the plans of Draco Malfoy, who used_ Obliviations _and a secret room to convince the investigators that the students had been temporarily replaced by polyjuiced followers of Voldemort. The plan worked and the students escaped without punishment, but also without memory of the crimes they had committed._

_With events settling down and a new Hogwarts Wardstone provided by Evans Enterprises, Albus Dumbledore decided that although he would return to Hogwarts, it would be as the Transfiguration Teacher as Minerva MacGonogall had done a better job than he could have. the Centaurs also provided a new member of staff, with Firenze being assigned as the official liaison between the Forest Herd and Hogwarts, his secondary duties being to help teach Care of Magical Creatures and Divination._

_The rest of the year passed without incident, but after it had ended, Draco Malfoy returned home where he discovered a letter he had written to himself as well as vials of memories that let him remember the actions he had taken and the knowledge that Potter was not trueborn._


	2. Excitement And Plans

The hands gripping the paper were white. Not the normal pinkish-white that is the general skin-color associated with that term, but the white that comes from the hands being tensed so tightly that the bloodflow is restricted.

The face of the person reading the paper was also white, but the reason this time was pure, unadulterated rage. The white skin contrasted quite spectacularly (and rather grotesquely) with the pink clothing that the person was wearing as the individual in question glared at the headline story of the Daily Prophet.

_**Quidditch World Champions Pick Tegg's Nose  
** _ _By Rita Skeeter_

_That's right, my loyal readers, the Quidditch World Cup, the crown  
_ _of the Wizarding Sporting World, is having its final match right here  
_ _in England at the Tegg's Nose Cavern_ James Potter Memorial Stadium _._

 _As we are all aware, the JPM Stadium was constructed as part of the  
_ _re-opening and expansion of the Tegg's Nose Caverns, a project which  
_ _was undertaken by Evans Enterprises, the company founded and owned  
_ _by the_ Boy-Who-Lived _himself, Harry Potter. The Stadium itself not only  
_ _meets but_ exceeds _the standard regulations of Quidditch Stadiums by  
_ _what one official has described as an awe-inspiring degree. Not only is  
_ _the Stadium able to hold over five times the number of people that the  
_ _next-largest can hold, it does so while still providing them all with seats,  
_ _easy access to toilets and since it's located in the Tegg's Nose Caverns,  
_ _immunity to any sort of inclement weather._

_This does not mean that the players will always play in perfect weather  
_ _conditions, though. A link to a Muggle Weather Monitoring Station in  
_ _the Tegg's Nose Park combined with special arrays set around the edge  
_ _of the Quidditch Pitch means that the weather outside can be replicated  
_ _inside, meaning that the players still have to contend with strong winds,  
_ _heavy rain and all the other variables that make the game so challenging  
_ _while the audience can watch perfectly dry and warm. Already several of  
_ _the other nations have expressed an interest in having similar Quidditch  
_ _Stadiums constructed for their own teams to use._

_In addition to the Stadium itself, no less than five hotels are available to  
_ _provide a place for those attending to relax before and after the game._

_For those who want to make their own way, an as-yet undeveloped area  
_ _at the bottom of the Cavern has been outfitted with water, toilet facilities  
_ _and other paraphernalia associated with campsites, meaning that those  
_ _fans who prefer canvas to stone will be able to sleep as they prefer._

_The links to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade will see more use than ever, as  
_ _will the Floo System serving the area, meaning that those who already  
_ _have tickets can simply floo to the Cavern and stroll to take their seats.  
_ _When asked for a statement, Lord Potter had this to say._

"While I did not expect that the Caverns would host such a great event,  
I am pleased that my efforts have brought happiness to others. I do ask,  
though, that those who attend remember where they are and so not do  
anything to bring shame upon our wonderful nation."

_As you can see, Lord Potter certainly has a way with words. His thoughts  
_ _and sentiments were echoed by Minister Cornelius Fudge, who thanked  
_ _the youngest member of the Wizengamot for his…_

Dolores Umbridge ripped the paper apart, then jammed it into her bin and drew her wand. A quick _Incendio_ reduced the simpering trash to ashes and she slumped in her seat, one hand stroking the pommel of the dagger sheathed on her belt as she tried to fight the anger down to the point that she could make rational decisions once more.

She had already lost too many fights to that halfblooded upstart. She would be cautious and plan ahead so that she would emerge victorious the next time that their paths crossed.

* * *

.

"Only a fortnight until the big match!" Sirius called as he shook his Godson's hand. "Thanks for inviting me to share your box."

"Just make sure you get Dobby to co-ordinate with Jor-El about what food and drink you may need." Harry pointed out. "And no, alcohol is most certainly _not_ a good idea. What sort of example would that set for me and my friends?"

"Heh, who needs alcohol when you have almost two-dozen bottles of Old Abe's Butterbeer." Sirius gloated as he followed Harry's waved invitation and flopped down on the sofa, sprawling out along it.

Harry grinned in appreciation. "Nice. So, aside from Remus, who else are you inviting? I'm inviting Hermione and her family as well as the Longbottoms and the Lovegoods."

"What about the Weasleys?" Sirius asked curiously as Harry finished sitting down on the armchair facing him. "I mean, Sunclaw, for one…"

"Ginny's already going with her family since her dad's got some seats in the Ministry box, although she knows that if she wants, she can join us should her brothers get too rowdy." Harry interrupted his Dogfather. "I had given some thought about inviting the Malfoys… for _political_ reasons… but Narcissa's apparently purchased a Box of her own and will be using it. I think she's using the match to determine which of the allies that Lucius once counted on are still trustworthy and reputable enough to keep."

"'Cissa always was the one with brains." Sirius nodded. "Anyway, I was thinking, could we invite the Tonks family? Nymmie will be on duty that day, but having Ted and 'Drommy could be fun."

"I don't see why not." Harry shrugged. "Professor Tonks is very popular at Hogwarts, it could be seen as quite a coup to have her as a guest at the match. Then again, won't she be in the Hogwarts Box?"

"…I hadn't thought of that." Sirius frowned. "Yeah, she probably would be. I'll check, but I think you're right. I still can't believe you gave Hogwarts its own box."

"Well, it seemed like the thing to do at the time." Harry shrugged slightly. "Just like giving you one."

"Meaning we are the only ones to have a double-sized box." Sirius grinned, briefly remembering how he had overseen the removal of the walls between the two boxes in order to turn them into one big one as well as how doing so had allowed them to block off the newly-unneeded part of the access corridor and turn it into another Switching Room linked to the Diagon flat.

"The media people have a whole _tower_ to themselves." Harry countered. "Plus platforms on the other towers and almost at pitch level for their camera-beings."

"True. True." Sirius nodded in agreement. "Your company must be raking in the profits like anything."

"We are." Harry grinned. "Jor-El? Financial chart, please."

Sirius looked at the chart that materialised and whistled in awe. "Wow, cub. That's… that's just… wow. But what's with _this_ line?"

"That's the profit we're making… and expecting to make." Harry supplied, noting the sudden look of confusion on the older wizard's face. "The line you were looking at is _turnover_ , or the amount of money we expect to take _before_ paying taxes, rents, resupply, wages and so on and so forth."

"Still pretty amazing." Sirius reached out to trace the profit forecast. "Hey, you heard that the Malfoys are shifting their wealth into actual business instead of just loans and property?"

"I think I remember reading that in the weekly updates, but I'm not sure." Harry mused. "Jor-El?"

" _The memo delivered three weeks ago contains that information."_ Jor-El replied as an image of the message in question formed in front of Harry, who quickly read it, then made a wiping motion with his hand to dispel it.

"That's… going to be interesting." Harry concluded. "They seem to be funding almost a quarter of the shops in Tegg's Nose. They'll be making quite a bit of money from that."

"They're funding _half_ of the ones closest to the campsite." Sirius pointed out. "Jorel, plan of the caverns please? Thank you."

Moving round, Sirius poked at several of the shops, Jor-El highlighting them and adding tags as he did so. "There… I think there is another, but I can't remember offhand. So, _these_ are the Malfoy Alliance shops."

"Two shops for camping stuff, three restaurants, three clothes shops… for different social strata… very clever." Harry walked round the image, scrutinizing it and reading the tags. "One hotel, Quidditch shop… attached to a Broomstick store? Someone's been thinking things through. I wonder how much of this was Mrs Malfoy and how much was Draco."

"Good point, cub." Sirius looked at the image with new appreciation. "Young Draco _has_ been getting more and more cunning recently."

For a long moment, both wizards stared thoughtfully at the map, then Sirius duplicated the hand-movement that Harry had used to dispel the memo earlier. The image vanished and Sirius flung himself into a nearby chair.

"So, changing the subject, your birthday."

"It'll be pretty much the same setup as two years ago." Harry stretched, then relaxed. "I think alternating between here and Longbottom Manor will become a tradition at this rate."

"This is the Wizarding World." Sirius scoffed. "A tradition is something that's been done three times. Unless you're a Pureblood Supermacist, in which case it's something you've done twice. I assume the setup will the the same as the previous time?"

"Yes and no." Harry rose from his chair. "I've already had the marquee set up. Want to see?"

"Sure." Sirius grinned as he followed his godson towards the door. "By the way, is that a bruise I see on your arm?"

"It is." Harry confirmed. "Nev and I are learning how to staff-fight using one of the styles Jor-El had in his memory banks."

"Sounds fun." Sirius chuckled.

.

"You've made it taller. " Sirius noted as they walked along the canvas-roofed path towards the tent with its ten-foot-high walls. "And the roof is at a shallower angle."

"I have." Harry said slowly. "Sirius… you weren't here the last time I held a ball, so how…?"

"Filius was kind enough to show me his memories of it." Sirius replied with a carefree shrug as they reached the main entrance. "Having Celestina Warbeck as your singer? I had a crush on her when I was younger… heck. I think almost everyone did." Sirius frowned thoughtfully. "Well, the chaps, anyway. Maybe even some of the ladies, now that I think… about… huh?"

Sirius came to a stop as he looked around at the cavernous three-story tent they were in, then he retraced his steps to outside, looking bemused. Harry simply leaned against one of the supporting pillars as Sirius transformed into Padfoot and vanished to one side, briefly appearing at the other entrances as he lolloped round before repeating the process _inside_ the tent.

"Ooooookay." Sirius drawled as he transformed back and rejoined Harry. "It's at least twice as high on the inside as the outside and the sides are three times longer. Yet it has multiple entrances, so… how?"

Harry tapped the pillar that he was leaning against and Sirius leaned in closer to examine it, his eyes noting the thin crystalline sheathing before fixing on the metal core. A moment later, he barked with laughter.

"Runic arrays on the pillars. Nice one!"

"Gilligan and Herriet will be helping with the serving, as will the Longbottom's two elves, thanks to Frank."

"I'm sure that Dobby will be happy to help too." Sirius offered. "Kreacher's… He's still teaching Dobby how the House of Black prefers to do things, but he's old enough that I've got him on minimal duties so that he doesn't work himself to death. I'm not sure how much magic he has left. Odd. As a child, I hated him because _dear_ old mother used him to punish me. Now? I… I pity him."

The duo stood in silence for a long moment, then Sirius shook himself.

"So, three stories. Broomsticks to get up?"

Harry shook his head, then laughed as a pair of broomsticks floated in, stopping at just the right height for them to take. "Thanks, Jor-El. Okay, come on."

Putting deeds to words, Harry swung himself onto the broomstick and kicked off, rising into the air. As Sirius joined him, he began pointing out the features of the tent.

"As you can see, we have a spiral staircase at each corner and at the midpoints of the long sides. We also have ramps at the end furthest away from the stage for those who cannot cope with stairs. The kitchen is located through that door under the ramps, the gathering would strain even the kitchen in the Pottery, so the extra capacity was pretty much required. The stage has a changing area behind it…"

Sirius nodded approvingly as Harry explained what he had done to make the Ball as successful as possible.


	3. The Potter Ball

"Ladies and gentlewizards, this is Samantha Whipperwill of Wizarding News reporting direct from The Pottery and the Potter Ball!" The well-dressed Witch chirped happily as the cameraman held the camera steady. "This year's Potter Ball is not just one for the upper class of our society, Lord Potter has offered invitations to quite a few of his fellow-students and their families. In addition, every Hogwarts student-to-be and their families have also been invited, irrespective of their blood-status.  
"We are fortunate enough to have Lord Potter with us now. Lord Potter, thank you for allowing us a few minutes of your time."

"The pleasure is mine." Harry said politely.

"May I ask why you have invited so many who have yet to join our society and may never fit in?"

Harry kept his irritation off his face as he replied. "Of course. To Muggles, Magic is a thing of myth and legend but ultimately something that they do not generally believe exists. For Muggle _borns_ , the Magical World is exciting but works on different rules to that which they are used to, meaning that without intending to, they quite often irritate or anger the more traditional members of our society.  
"When I sent them the invitations, I also sent with each one a copy of the book by _Theophilus Chivalrius_ which explains why the Wizarding World is how it is and thus how to avoid accidentally giving offense where none was intended. As such, between the book and meeting those of import in the society that they are entering, they will be better equipped to become productive, valued members of our world. After all, why simply complain about an issue when it can be easily solved with just a little bit of forethought and effort?"

"…A most thought-provoking answer, Lord Potter." Samantha managed, the smile on her face slipping slightly.

"If I may interject?" A voice asked and Harry looked round to see Draco approaching. "Since Lord Potter returned to us from the Muggle World, he has been the architect of many changes for the better. The Quidditch Tables are but one example of the ways he has improved life for us. Having him go out of his way to aid those who need that help is what I have come to expect of him and I respect him for his ability to do so."

With a slight bow, Draco moved away.

.

"That bastard!" Neville Longbottom hissed, earning curious looks from Hermione and Ginny. "He's just managed to all-but-state that Muggleborns are inferior because they need help to fit in."

Hermione frowned slightly, then she bit back a curse before she could utter it.

"Malfoy's getting sneakier." Neville grumbled. "Given what he was like when we started Hogwarts, I don't know whether to be annoyed or impressed."

"Are there any potions which increase intelligence?" Hermione asked curiously and Neville frowned.

"…ye-es, but the effects are either temporary or have significant downsides such as reduced vision, premature aging or baldness." He finally admitted. "The strongest and most common mind-boosting potion in the past actually caused permanent sterility."

"…then _why_ was it used?" Hermione demanded. "And by _who_?"

"Third-born sons onwards, mainly." Neville shrugged. "The parents had their Heir and Spare, but extra sons would split the family fortune too much, so by effectively sterilising them, they kept the line of family from splitting and since the sons in question couldn't have children of their own, they were used as accountants or advisers. After all, without any chance to start their own families, they had to remain loyal to their birth-family, unless they decided to renounce magic and hide in Monasteries. Of course, the Grindlewald War caused several families to lose all their fertile heirs and thus die out, so the potions began to fall from use at that point. The Blood War just finished it off since a single raid could cost a family both their primary _and_ secondary heirs."

"The more I learn about the Wizarding World, the more it worries me." Hermione sighed.

"Worries me too at times." Neville agreed, then he looked up as a chime sounded. "Oh, time to get to our tables!"

.

A chime echoed through the multi-level marquee and the hum of conversation died down as Harry Potter walked onto the stage, stopping just behind the podium that had risen smoothly from the floor.

"Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, honored guests, I thank you for coming tonight." Harry said as the background lights slowly dimmed, leaving him illuminated in the spotlight. "Soon the entertainment will begin, but before then, I ask for your indulgence for a few minutes. I promise I'll try to keep it short.  
"For those of you born and raised in the Magical World, you will have noticed that I have departed greatly from tradition. At least part of that is because I myself was raised _as_ a Muggle so when I started Hogwarts, it was as one new to the Magical World and the traditions it follows. I was lucky to meet one who would be my friend, Neville Longbottom, who used his knowledge of the Wizarding World to help me adapt to what was, and to a degree, still is a truly different world.  
"However, many did not have such help to adapt and of those, most leave the Magical World, dismayed and even disgusted with it because no-one was willing to help them to understand. Of those who could have helped them, too many looked down at them for not understanding, driving them away and thus weakening us all.  
"Now, though, Headmistress McGonogall has listened to my suggestion and initiated a new class at Hogwarts, Wizarding Studies. Although optional, it will be highly recommended for those from non-Magical backgrounds as it will help them to understand the intricacies of Wizarding Society as well as the potential pitfalls.  
"By the same token, the Muggle Studies class has been overhauled to bring it up to modern standards and is now available from the first year rather than the third. Again, while optional, it is recommended for those of Wizarding backgrounds since it will help them understand why their Muggleborn friends often look at things from angles that they themselves were unaware even existed.  
"To help with these new classes, my godfather Lord Black and I have set up a special account so that Hogwarts can provide the required books free of charge to those who are interested."

Harry waited for the murmuring to die down before continuing.

"After the first song is finished, there will be a raffle held for those about to start Hogwarts. Ollivander has been kind enough to donate a few wand-care kits as prizes, we have several vouchers for Ice Cream at Fortesque's and all participants will win _something_. However, the top prize is the use of the Penthouse suite at the _Lily's Rest_ Hotel for the week of the Quidditch Finals, meals included, as well as joining Lord Black and myself as honoured guests in a private box for the game."

A gasp rose from the assembled croud and Harry saw several of the First-years-to-be tightening their grips on the tokens that they had been given as they arrived.

"For now, fresh from their tour of Wizarding America, a band recommended by Selena Warbeck herself, please give a warm welcome to _The Magical Melodies_!"

Quickly moving aside as the light rose, Harry half-turned enough to see the lead singer of the band, a Veela clad in a high-necked catsuit and lightweight open over-robe that managed to be both provocative and demure at the same time, stepping forwards and waving as the Guitar-wizard took a stance, the Goblin on the drums raised his sticks and the vampire with the violin stood ready to play. For a long, breathless moment, the tableaux remained motionless, then the sticks descended onto the drums to start their first song.

.

"What a party!" The chubby man smiled, then he held out his hand. "Horace Slughorn, once the Head of Slytherin and Potions Professor at Hogwarts, retired. It is a real honor to meet you, Lord Potter!"

"Thank you." Harry made a mental note to check how the man had managed to get a ticket since he didn't remember the name as being one of the ones on his list.

"My good friend Albus was kind enough to invite me since he had a spare ticket." Horace burbled on. "While he might not be the Headmaster any more, he is still one of the greatest Wizards that I have ever met."

"He is indeed." Harry agreed as he tried to surreptitiously reclaim his hand. "I witnessed his power first-hand during the liberation of Hogwarts."

"Oh yes, did you ever find out just _how_ you-know-who got into Hogwarts?"

"Yes, we did." Albus confirmed as he joined them. "We found the Vanishing Cabinet after questioning some of the survivors and destroyed it. In addition, the Wards are now set to recognise the presence of any Vanishing Cabinet or similar within the grounds of Hogwarts and to alert the teachers. Lord Potter, may I steal my old friend from you? There are several other people that I feel he must meet."

"Of course. It has been an honor meeting you, Mr Slughorn."

"The honor was mine, Lord Potter." Horace replied with a bow. "I hope to meet you at Hogwarts where I have accepted the position of Wizarding Studies Professor."

Harry watched the two men walk off, then managed not to jump as Hermione spoke.

"He seems… almost slimy. I'm glad I don't have to take Wizarding Studies."

"Sssh." Harry motioned for her to be quiet, then he nodded a moment later. "So that's it. He's coming to Hogwarts because Riddle's return scared him and he's heard how strong Hogwarts' new Wards are."

"You have incredible hearing." Hermione noted.

"It has its perks." Harry shrugged. "Downsides, too. I've had to learn to not hear quite a bit… like when Padfoot is _entertaining_ or when people sing in the showers."

Hermione paled slightly. "Erm… right. I… er…"

Taking pity on her, Harry made a point of looking up at the stage. "Sorry, I think it's time for me to oversee the draw."

.

Harry held up the container with the tokens in and shook it so that everyone could hear the rattling inside as the vampire carefully placed his violin and bow into their case and almost glided to the rack of prizes that had been levitated onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, honored guests… and anyone I may have left out…"

Harry paused for the laughter to die down before continuing. "Miss Jessamine will be picking our winners while Monsieur Sanguine will be handing out the prizes. Please give them a round of applause for volunteering."

Sanguine smiled, flashing a fang in the process, while Jessamine waved back at the cheering audience.

"If the token-holders and could move to the front… we'll be doing the Ice-cream vouchers first."

Taking her cue, Jessamine reached into the container and pulled out a token, holding it up so that everyone could see.

"Number seventeen!"

One of the boys jumped up and down in excitement, then ran up onto the stage as Sanguine stepped forwards with the first of the vouchers.

"…and you are?" Sanguine asked with a gentle smile.

"Dennis Creevey, sir!" The young boy almost bounced as he answered.

"Well, here is the voucher so that you and your family can have free ice cream at Fortesques."

"Thank you, sir!" Dennis clutched the voucher to his chest, then he let himself be ushered off the stage and scampered off to where his older brother was lowering the camera he had just used to take a picture.

"Next up is… number twenty-three!"

.

"…and that leaves the final number, twelve!"

A blond-haired boy with a reserved expression stepped forwards and gave Sanguine a slight bow.

"Graham Pritchard, sir." He said in response to the unasked question.

"I know that name." Sirius mused as he gave stepped onto the stage, handing Sanguine a goblet filled with a red liquid. The vampire inhaled the aroma of the liquid appreciatively, then stepped back to allow Sirius to take his place. "Your father is Dominic Pritchard, is he not? Aha, there he is. Hey, Dom!"

"Lord Black." A man in Formal Auror Dress Robes nodded back.

"I see your family is doing well!"

"We are." Dominic responded, his serene calmness an almost perfect counterpoint to Sirius' manic energy.

"Well, here we go, young Graham." Sirius presented an envelope to the young boy, the crests of both the Black and Potter families emblazoned on the front. "Reservations and tickets to the World Quidditch Cup."

"Thank you, sir…" Graham seemed almost overwhelmed for a moment and Sirius patted him on the shoulder.

"Well done. I'm sure you're looking forwards to it."

Graham nodded before almost scurrying back to his father and Sirius moved aside to let Harry retake center stage.

"Before we resume our festivities, let us have one more round of applause for Miss Jessamine and Monsieur Sanguine for volunteering to help with this presentation!"

Jessamine bowed while Sanguine raised his goblet in a salute, before draining the final few drops from it and handing it to a nearby server. Moving to his violin case, he lifted his violin to his shoulder and poised his bow, ready to play once more as Jessamine moved to the microphone stand.

"You managed to do that very well." Hermione she accepted a glass of lemonade. "I don't think many here noticed you leaving the stage."

"I learned how to sneak a while back." Harry replied with a smile before taking a sip of his own drink as the music rose once nore. "It comes in useful occasionally."

Hermione started to nod, then frowned.

"Harry… what have you been doing that needs sneaking?"


	4. Rising Excitement

"Quite a crowd down there." Harry noted as he looked down from the floor-to-ceiling window of Sirius' study. Beside him, his godfather nodded.

"Good thing there was all that space available." Remus noted as he handed a bottle of Butterbeer to Harry and Sirius before taking a swig of his own. "I shudder to think what the Ministry would have tried to do without this place."

"Probably try to take over a farm somewhere and _obliviate_ the owner whenever he tries to raise a fuss." Sirius growled darkly, earning a worried look from the other two.

"Padfoot…" Remus started and Sirius sighed.

"Sorry. Still irritated with them."

"He's been spending quite a bit of time with the _Five_." Remus supplied. "He's become rather protective of them. He's also been campaigning against the Ministry's order that all Obscurials are to be killed as soon as they are identified."

"That would do it." Harry agreed sourly, but with a slight smirk. "Good thing that Project Pimpernel is now active."

"Project… _Pimpernel_?" Remus asked slowly and Sirius grinned with savage glee.

"You may have heard that in the Muggle world, Evans Enterprises and Stark Industries have teamed up to roll out a new generation of mobile communication devices with advanced features, right?" Harry asked and Remus slowly nodded. "Well, Hermione pointed out that how we were using Switching Optical Spheres was massively overkill, since the theoretical data-rate we could support with it was actually several orders of magnitude higher than we could physically encode and transmit, even with K-tech, so we cut back the number of switches to a mere fifty thousand per second. It takes far less magical energy to run and still gives us over five times as much theoretical data-flow as we can currently transmit."

"…and this relates to your project… how?" Remus asked curiously.

"Since we now have so much mage-energy to spare, we've put an Optical Sphere into each relay used for mobile phones." Harry shrugged. "It's quite literal black-box technology for the Muggles, but it does mean that when we put the link in, we can also put in a specialized sensor array. We put some of the data into the public domain, weather patterns for the forecasters mainly, and we also use the relays as triangulation points so that people can use their phones to find out where they are and plot routes to where they need to go, but the magic-field sensors? Jor-El has a special monitoring program for that. The DMLE gets some of the data in the form of a special map on their main control room, one that highlights the casting of any Unforgivable or notifies them of Accidental Magic as well as the positions of the remaining three Dementors, but what it does _not_ show them is _Obscurials_."

Remus stared at Harry, then grinned. "So, you can detect and rescue them _before_ the DMLE is even aware that they exist?"

Harry nodded. "That's right. I have contacts in MACUSA lobbying for the same mage-tech to be adopted there since most of the infrastructure's already in place. That way, we'll be able to find the _Obscurials_ before the MACUSA Aurors even know that they're there."

"…nice." Remus nodded.

"Sadly, they got to the most recent one before we had the sensors in place to detect them." Harry added. "The sensors across California went on-line _just_ in time to catch them killing him or her."

Remus winced, then frowned again.

"That company you mentioned, do they know…"

"About magic? No." Harry shook his head. "Someone managed to come up with a theoretically-plausible thing about quantum mirroring or something to explain the FTL data-transmission speed between continents. I'd need to use the _Raozrhyng Kypzhrig Azhuhm_ to have a chance of understanding it, but apparently it is possible, just _very_ hard to do."

"The Row-zing-kip-whatsit?" Sirius asked, suddenly distracted from the crowds below and Remus nodded in agreement with the query.

" _Sirs, your guests are approaching."_ Jor-El's voice announced before Harry could reply and Sirius peered down at the walkway leading to his penthouse mansion.

"Yes, and there they are! Everyone neat and tidy? Let's go greet them."

"I'll fetch our other guests while you do." Remus volunteered.

.

"That's a _huge_ apartment."

Dominic Pritchard nodded in agreement to his wife's comment as they looked at the expanse of semi-reflective glass spreading out to either side (as well as above and below) of the porch-like point that the walkway terminated at. As they drew near, the doors slid apart to reveal a grinning Lord Black and a smiling Lord Potter.

"Hey, Dom!" Sirius called in greeting as he bounded forwards to shake his hand. "Good to see you again and… Estelle! It has been quite a while."

At Dominic's quizzical look, Sirius expanded on how he recognized Estelle. "I tried to woo her at Hogwarts. She turned me down, then when I tried again, she fired several spells at me. For the following week, I had green and silver sparkles all around me."

Estelle smiled almost wistfully as she nodded in agreement.

"And this is my godson, Lord Harry Potter." Sirius concluded and Dominic offered his hand to the teen in question.

"An honor to meet you, my Lord."

"Harry, Dom here was one of the Aurors who participated in the battle, using a sword. He's a good man."

"And, professionally speaking, just _how_ did you do whatever it was at Little Hangleton?" Dominic asked curiously. "It's starting to fade, but the Unspeakables are still freaking out over it."

"Family magic." Harry shrugged and Dominic nodded slowly.

"I see. I am still curious, but thank you."

"Well, come on in." Sirius waved for the trio to enter his mansion. "We've got a special connection point to the Potter-Black Box and there are several people that I'd like you to meet."

.

"Harry!" Neville grinned as he entered the room just ahead of his parents and grandmother. "Hey, Uncle Sirius, nice house."

"I quite like it." Sirius agreed with a smile. "You know everyone but these three. Dominic, Estelle, Graham, may I introduce you to Lord Frank Longbottom, his lovely wife Alice Longbottom, Heir Neville Longbottom and Dame Augusta Longbottom. Frank, Alice, Neville, Augusta, may I introduce you to Auror Dominic Pritchard, his wife Estelle Pritchard and their son, Graham Pritchard, soon to be enrolled at Hogwarts."

The two men shook hands as the introductions were concluded and Sirius clapped.

"Okay, the match will be starting soon, so let's get settled in to our box. This way, everyone, the others are waiting!"

Sirius led them to the back of the entrance hall to a door set into a small alcove.

"Okay, Pritchards with me, Harry, you bring the Longbottoms."

Sirius led his guests into the small room and the door swung shut, re-opening a few seconds later to reveal that the room was empty.

"Let's go." Harry grinned as he half-bowed for Frank and Alice to lead the way.

* * *

.

Barty Crouch (Jr) carefully levitated the final squeaking mouse into position above Nagini's head and the large snake responded by blurring into another lunge that cut the mouse's final squeak off before it could be finished.

"I _hate_ it when you do that." A voice whined behind him and Barty half-turned to see Pettigrew standing in the doorway, a bulging plastic bag in his hands.

"Did you get it?" Barty asked as he straightened up and returned the aquarium lid (with the heating runes) to its place, Nagini flowing to her favorite rock for a nap as she began digesting her meal.

"I don't know how you can stand that stuff." Peter shuddered as he pulled out a bottle of Doctor Pepper and set it on the table that had been placed at the side of the room. "It tastes like fizzy Vimto."

"Yet you drink that orange sludge."

"Hey, I happen to _like_ Iron Bru!" Peter snapped back as he moved the bottle in question out of the bag and onto the table, then placed several tubes of crisps next to it.

"Did you use those vouchers I gave you?" Barty asked and Peter nodded.

"Yeah… but _seriously_? You actually applied for a Nectar Card?"

"And what's wrong with that?" Barty asked as he pulled out the rack of figures that represented the Irish Quidditch Team and slotted them onto the Quidditch Table. "Remember, Peter, at this time only you and I know that I did not die in Azkaban. While that means that they will not be searching for me, it does mean that I must use services other than Gringotts and by using that which I learned during our trip to America, we can purchase our food and other supplies from the Muggles, enough to feast every day without arousing suspicion."

Peter sighed as he finished arranging the snacks on the table while a click behind him announced that the Bulgarian Team models were in position.

"Why don't we have one of those new screen-things that Evan Enterprises is selling?"

"I do not trust them." Barty admitted. "I do not know how they work, nor do I know that they cannot be used to spy on us. Same as for the phones. We cannot risk exposing ourselves, _Inquisitor_. We are the hidden blades that our Lord will wield against our enemies when he returns once more and to aid him, I will need you to relay a message to one of our allies… _after_ the game concludes."

Peter slouched to side of the Quidditch Table, glass of fizzing orange liquid in hand.

"So… can we turn on the radio?"

 _Ladies and Gentlewizards, Honorable Goblins and Beings of all  
_ _types, this is the Wireless Wizarding Network transmitting from  
_ _the_ James Potter Memorial Stadium _where the final match of  
_ _the_ Quidditch World Cup _will soon be taking place!_

 _As well as supporting the Quidditch Tables, we are proud to also  
_ _be covering the first ever Quidditch Match to also be shown on  
_ _Magevision thanks to the efforts of the_ Kitsune Broadcasting  
Company _and the Wizarding section of the_ British Broadcasting  
Company. _By means of special cameras around the pitch,live  
_ _images of the match will be seen all around the world! But  
_ _don't worry, the_ Quidditch Tables _will not be phased out any  
_ _time soon..._

"Minister Fudge." The Bulgarian Minister of Magic nodded in greeting as Fudge rose from his chair to welcome him. "This is very nice Quidditch Pitch."

"Indeed it is, Minister Oblansk." Fudge agreed as he held out his hand, allowing the heavyset man to give it a firm shake. "Please, take a seat and I would be honored if you would call me Cornelious. After all, we are both Ministers."

"As you vish, Cornelius." Oblansk rumbled. "Und you can call me Stefan. Zis is amazink place."

"It is indeed." Cornelius nodded as his staff resumed their seats in the lower section of the box, his aide sat nearby with a folder of useful information on her lap, ready to provide him with whatever facts he needed. "The _James Potter Memorial Stadium_ and indeed, the entire _Tegg's Nose Cavern_ was the result of a project run by Evans Enterprises."

"Haf to ask zem for similar in Bulgaria." Stefan noted, looking around through the large windows which made up three sides of the Box, then down through the transparent flooring below the dias on which he was seated. "Zis is very gut."

"It is indeed." Cornelius agreed again, waving one hand at the still-blank screens which were set above and flanking the open front of the box. "When those are switched on, they will let us watch from several different angles at once and… aha!"

The two screens on either side and the one set in the middle all lit up, an image of a handsome wizard and beautiful witch on them

"… _and we bid a warm welcome to those who have chosen to watch this World Cup Quidditch Match!"_ The witch chirped happily as the Wizard smiled. _"Minister Cornelius Fudge of the United Kingdom of Wizarding Britain had this statement for us."_

The image changed to show Cornelius Fudge standing on the stage set below the Ministerial Box, the Quidditch Trophy on a pedestal beside him.

" _On behalf of Wizarding Britain, I am honoured to welcome our visitors and extend our hospitality to you all."_ The recorded Fudge said with a wide smile. _"I am certain that this will be a truly memorable event for all of us and I am happy that Britain has been the nation chosen to host this most magnificent match that we are all looking forwards to."_

The image froze for an instant, then the wizard and witch reappeared with the Wizard speaking.

" _That was our Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, talking earlier today. Now, let us go to our sports studio_ at _the_ JPM Stadium _..."_


	5. The Match Begins

"Are those… _Veela_?" Sirius asked, leaning forwards for a better view as a hundred silvery-haired witches in technically-modest-but-very-suggestive robes flowed out onto the field and began to dance to the Bulgarian Anthem. "Shit! They are Veela! I hope the Aurors are… are… why am I not feeling their _allure_?"

"Protective runes in the supports." Harry supplied. "Blocks or severely reduces spells and magical effects in either direction."

All the males turned to stare at Harry, who shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. "What?"

"You have a _protective ward_ around the pitch?" Sirius asked, a grin forming on his face. "Nice one, pup."

"Is it just me, or do the Veela look disconcerted?" Hermione asked as she looked at the screen which was zoomed in on the leaders of the Veela cheerleaders. The women in question were looking around at the audience with confused expressions.

"They are." Remus agreed. "I would say that… are those Leprechauns?"

Harry looked up as what seemed to be a green-and-gold comet flew overhead, one that traveled the width of the pitch before separating into two smaller comets that circled round, shedding what looked like golden sparkles over the cheering crowd.

"Jorel, turn the volume up, please." Sirius asked as the leprechauns finished their aerial maneuvers which had culminated in them taking the form of a giant shamrock.

" _As you wish, sir."_ Jor-El replied and a line appeared on the screens set in strategic places around the Potter-Black private Box, extending to show that the volume was being raised, allowing the voice of former-Quidditch-player-turned-Ministry-Employee Ludo Bagman to make itself heard.

"… _and now the Bulgarian Team enter the pitch. I give you Dimitrov,  
__Ivanova, Zograf, Levski, Vulchanov and their Seeker, VICTOR KRUM!_

" _And now the Irish Team enter, it's Connolly, Ryan, Troy, Mullet, Moran,  
__Quigley and their Seeker, AIDAN LYNCH!_

" _And all the way from Egypt, our Referee. The acclaimed Chairwizard of  
__the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"_

"This looks like it will be quite a match." Albus noted from his chair set just beside and slightly lower than the Headmistress' Chair which Minerva McGonagall occupied. On Albus' shoulder, Fawkes chirped in agreement, then leaned forwards to take the candied cherry that Albus held up for him.

"You spoil that bird." Severus half-scoffed from his own chair, then he looked away from the pitch. "I see that Malfoy is paying close attention to the Chasers."

"I wonder if Lord Potter will be watching the Keepers or the Seekers." Flitwick mused before taking a swig from the mug that he held, a mug from which odd wisps of strangely-coloured vapor occasionally rose.

"…what exactly _is_ that drink, if I may ask?" Albus asked curiously.

"Cavern Ale." Flitwick said before taking another swig. "The infusion of the foxglove petals gives it nicely tangy bite that contrasts very well with the arsenic."

Snape gave the earthenware jar by Flitwick's chair a long, suspicious look.

"… _and they're offff! It's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet!..."_

"Holy…" Harry gasped as he moved closer to the edge of the box for a better view as the Chasers passed the Quaffle between each other at blurring speeds. The Chasers wove between each other even as they spun to avoid the Bludgers and when Harry glanced across at the screen showing a map of the match, the purple strobing that indicated possession of the Quaffle didn't have enough time to settle on any of the dots before it was in motion again. A tiny sparkle of gold briefly appeared, only to vanish again as the Snitch made a brief showing.

"That's… incredible." Hermione breathed as she joined Harry, then she grinned. "Even _you_ would find it hard to prevent them from scoring a…"

" **GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL"**

The holographic scoreboards updated to show that Ireland had managed to get the Quaffle past Zograf with Troy having been the one to get it through the hoop.

"Incredible!" Hermione repeated as Levski rose with the Quaffle in his hand, the other two Bulgarian Chasers moving into formation as he rejoined them.

.

"I have a _lot_ of practise ahead of me if I want to be as good as they are." Draco noted.

"I'm still somewhat surprised you haven't decided to try out as a Seeker." Blaise Zabini said as he joined the blond, a silver-engraved goblet in his hand. "After all, our current one is rubbish."

"Maybe you should try." Draco shrugged as Dimitrov flew past so closely that the wind of his passage briefly ruffled Draco's hair. "I've had Crabbe and Goyle professionally taught over the summer, now that they've been trained in the basics, they're surprisingly good at being Beaters. Nowhere near the Weasley Twins, but certainly able to generally hold their own against the other two Houses."

Blaise looked at the back corner where the two boys in question were sat, staring dully at one of the screens showing the match while swigging from Butterbeer bottles. Draco caught his disbelieving expression and half-smirked.

"Tell me, do you know what the phrase _Idiot Savant_ means?"

"Wise fool." Blaise replied without thinking, then he paused. "No."

"Yes." Draco's smirk widened at Blaise's disbelieving expression.

" _Them_?!"

"… _Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova… oh I say!"_

Hermione yelped in shock as Krum sliced down through the Chasers, Lynch so close behind that they almost seemed to be sharing a single, long broomstick.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione yelled just as Krum spun to flare his robes out, then pulled up so sharply that his broomstick seemed to actually go backwards for a fraction of a second. Caught by surprise, Lynch hesistated an instant too long before following suit and while Krum pulled up successfully with a foot or so to spare, Lynch slammed into the turf, bouncing and rolling to a stop.

"… _and it's a timeout! Lynch just got ploughed by Krum who pulled  
__a perfect Wronski Feint…"_

"Good thing those models are so resilient." Pettigrew noted as he and Crouch stared at the motionless model resting on the tabletop. "That looked nasty, even via models… he's back up!"

The small model of Lynch rose up, wobbling slightly, then lifted into the air, briefly rejoining his team before continuing to ascend.

"Krum is _good_." Barty raised his glass of Dr Pepper to salute the Bulgarian seeker who was circling above the midpoint of the pitch.

"Go Bulgaria!" Peter cheered.

.

"That must have hurt!" Diana Prince stated as she and the other four _Obscurials_ watched the match that was projected holographically in front of them, their gazes flicking between the immaterial pitch and the screens showing close-ups of the different players.

"Quidditch players are _tough_." Peter Pan said admiringly as they watched the Irish Seeker return to the game, only slightly bruised from his unplanned contact with the ground and Amanda nodded in agreement with the youngest boy.

.

"That was…" Cornelius Fudge shook his head in amazement. "Krum is very good."

"Vunce he finishes at Durmstrang, he vill be joining national team full time." Stefan smirked. "He is already great Seeker and vill soon be even better."

"He is already a credit to your country." Fudge offered and Stefan's smirk turned into a proper smile.

.

"Looks like the Irish are going to win." Dominic noted, glancing at the scoreboard which showed that the Irish team was almost at the point of guaranteed victory irrespective of who caught the Snitch.

"Looks that way." Sirius agreed, glancing sideways to where Estelle Pritchard and Emma Granger were laughing about something.

"The Bulgarian Keeper seems really off his game today." Remus mused and Sirius shook his head.

"Nope. For Bulgaria, their Keeper's always been their weak point, mainly because they don't really see that position as important. The Bulgarians concentrate primarily on offence and Snitch-hunting which is why they tend to win, but the Irish prefer counter-plays, meaning that they are one of the few teams who can actually hold their own, but it leaves them vulnerable to the opposing Seeker until they get enough of a lead and… there goes Krum!"

The entire box went silent as Krum hurtled past, diving in a swoop that ended a bare foot above the grass, then he pulled up, one hand held high to show tha he had the Snitch.

"Did he…" Sirius began, then he looked at the score. "No, Ireland managed to sneak in one last goal. But why did he…?"

"The Bulgarian team are not that good in long games." Dominic supplied. "They go for speed and strength, but it costs them stamina. Their chasers were already showing signs of starting to flag, so Krum decided to end it on _his_ terms."

"He's right." Remus added. "Did you see Volkov's last strike? He clipped the Bludger rather than striking it."

"I… missed that." Sirius admitted.

"As did I." Harry agreed. "But… it's probably a good thing I wasn't planning to become a professional Quidditch player. I don't think I could have blocked at least half of those shots."

"You could probably have blocked more than Zograf did." Hermione mused as she wiped her forehead. "But… wow! What a match!"

Almost everyone nodded as the Irish leprechauns rose into the air, forming a floating Shamrock once more to the background of cheering from the Irish fans and the rising complaints and _boo_ s of the Bulgarian followers, a rising swell of anger that suddenly subsided as a platoon of red-cloaked Aurors flew overhead.

"Wow!" Graham gasped. "They're flying just like Omni-Man!"

"How are they doing that?" Luna Lovegood asked, her eyes wide as she pointed up and Sirius smirked.

"It's a thing that my new company, BlackWolf Industries, came up with." He replied. "Moony and I reverse-engineered the belt and stuff that Moldyshorts used to fly without brooms and we made a better version. The DMLE now equip all of the Aurors with them, allowing them to fly while using both hands for whatever they need doing, although they still use broomsticks when speed is of the essence."

"True." Remus agreed. "Broomsticks have special runes engraved on their core wood that allows them to go fast and the longer the runic line is, the faster the broom. Oh, there are several tricks used, such as seperating the control arrays and placing them to flank the core rather than be attached to the front, but for a broomstick to go faster than, say, forty miles per hour, it has to be at least four foot long. There was just no way to duplicate that with the greaves, belt and bracers."

Luna drifted off, looking very thoughtful and Domonic stepped forwards.

"BlackWolf ?"

"Yep." Sirius nodded. "My godson's company needed some competition that _wasn't_ the Malfoys. Between BlackWolf Industries, Evans Enterprises and the Malfoy Family's White Wing Artificers,we now effectively _own_ the Wizarding world… well, the parts of it that aren't government controlled. Heck, we even arranged to have the Hog's Head expanded in exchange for a share."

"Which really just means that Sirius and I get our drinks there free." Remus noted.

"And Abe's producing a lot more of his Butterbeer." Sirius added. "Did you know that the Malfoys own the brewery that makes the regular Butterbeer?"

"…explains why when we were at Hogwarts, Lucius always had several crates ready to share whenever he wanted something from those older than him." Estelle mused from behind them.

* * *

.

"Dolores?"

"Yes, Minister?" The Undersecretary in question simpered as Cornelius Fudge strode past her towards his office. "Is there a problem? I thought that you would still be at the after-party with the Bulgarian Minister."

"He had to head back to officially confirm the promotion of Durmstrang's Acting Headmaster to the position of official Headmaster as part of his preparation for the Tri-Wizard." Fudge replied as he settled himself behind his desk. "I think I remember something about it, but I'm not sure… who was the previous Headmaster?"

"That would have been Karkaroff, sir." Dolores supplied and Fudge snapped his fingers as the memory surfaced.

"Ah, yes! The Death Eater who repented and testified against the others… well, those who didn't claim to have been _Imperiouse_ d… like Malfoy."

Dolores carefully remained silent, hiding her opinion on that particular matter.

"By the way, how are Crouch and Bagman doing with the arrangements for the Tri-Wizard?"

Dolores managed not to sneer as she answered.

"They are doing quite well, although I believe that it is mainly due to their new assistant… Weatherby, I think his name is."

"The importance of competent assistants is often under-appreciated." Fudge declared. "If he needs any help…"

"I shall endevour to free up some of my time should it be required." Dolores offered without hesitation.

"Dolores, I sometimes wonder what I would do without you."

"Let us hope you never need to find out, sir."

"Indeed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flitwick's Cavern Ale contains at least two poisonous ingredients, meaning it would probably be fatal to humans (although Hagrid would likely enjoy it…).  
> To all those reading this, do not be tempted to use either Foxglove (aka Digitalis) or Arsenic anywhere near food. There is a reason that powdered foxglove is not sold in health-food stores and why Arsenic is not found in a shaker next to the salt and pepper.


	6. King's Cross

"So, pup, are you excited?" A voice asked as Harry landed, swinging himself off his broom with the ease of practise.

"Excited?" He asked as Remus walked out onto the Quidditch pitch, Sirius bounding around him in dog-shape.

"You have a chance to witness the Tri-Wizard tournament." Remus smiled as Harry moved past him to rack the broomstick. "It's being brought back."

Harry frowned, then looked round as Jor-El materialized.

" _The Tri-Wizard Tournament is a long-abandoned competition between the three oldest Schools of Magic, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute. Each school has a champion selected via an artifact known as the Goblet of Fire and they proceed to undertake a trio of high-risk challenges in which fatalities are not uncommon.  
_ " _The first Tournament was held in 1294 and was designed to test magical ability, courage and intelligence. The Tournament was held every three years, with the winning school being known as the Greatest School until the start of the next tournament. However, the Tournament was abandoned after the incident in 1792 where all three champions died and three judges were injured, two of them permanently, by an enraged Cockatrice under the influence of an engorgement charm. Hogwarts was deemed to be the winner as their champion was not simply ahead on points at the time, but also lasted longest, sacrificing himself to buy enough time for the Audience to begin their evacuation.  
_ " _Of the 167 Tournaments that have been held, Hogwarts has wone 63 of them with Beauxbatons claiming victory in 62. The remaining 42 were won by Durmstrang. It is important to note that in only seventeen tournaments did all the champions survive without crippling injuries._ "

"Wow." Sirius said in awe, having resumed his human form during the recitation. "I hope that they've put safety protocols in place."

"Jorel, may I have a printout of that summary, please?" Remus asked.

" _It will be ready momentarily, sir."_

"Why is it being brought back?" Harry asked curiously and Sirius shrugged slightly.

"I heard that it came from the Minister's office."

"I'll check with Minerva when I get to Hog… what?" Remus trailed off as Sirius stared at him.

"Minerva?" Sirius repeated. "Does she know you call her that?"

"She gave me permission." Remus shrugged, then he smirked. "You know, she still wants to hex you for calling her _Minnie_ on your last day as DADA teacher."

"Why do you think I waited until then to do it?" Sirius shot back as he stepped out of Harry's way. "Well, it's time to head out, pup, another year of boring study awaits you."

"Some of us actually _like_ to learn new things." Harry riposted and Remus chuckled at Sirius' betrayed expression.

"Come on, let's leave this old dog to contemplate the horrors of new tricks and get you to the platform." Remus joked. "You don't want to miss the train."

"No." Harry agreed. "I don't… I wonder what game Neville will have for us to play this time?"

* * *

.

"Cluedo?" Hermione reached out to help Neville set out the board. "I like this game."

"It seems fun." Neville allowed as he finished distributing the implements around the floorplan of the mansion. "So, who wants to be whom?"

"I'll be Miss Scarlet." Ginny stated instantly and Luna giggled.

"I'll be Mrs White, then."

"Mrs Peacock for me." Hermione tapped the blue piece.

"I'll be Mr Plum." Neville decided.

"Colonel Mustard." Harry stated with a grin. "Shall we throw to see who starts?"

.

"…I suggest it was Colonel Mustard, in the Kitchen, with the Revolver." Ginny said, moving Harry's piece from the corridor between the library and the Billiards room to the room where her own token had landed. Luna glanced at the cards she was holding, then shook her head, as did Neville.

"Ginny…"

Ginny looked at the card that Hermione had placed, face-down, in front of her, then ducked to peer at what the card was without letting anyone else see.

"…thank you." She finally grumbled and Hermione reclaimed the card.

"My turn!" Luna chirped, rolling the dice. "Three… yes! I suggest it was… Mr Plum, with the Spanner, in the Dining Room!"

Neville shook his head, as did Hermione and Harry pulled out the card showing the room, passing it to Luna so that she could see it.

"…poot!" Luna cursed genteelly, causing Ginny to start giggling.

"My turn." Neville scooped up the dice and rolled. "Two. Well, that doesn't get me anywhere."

Hermione rolled the dice and moved her token into the Conservatory.

"I suggest it was myself, in the conservatory, with the dagger."

A round of head-shakes caused Hermione to look smug but she didn't follow up with an accusation. Harry narrowed his eyes as he considered which of the three suggestions Hermione was holding. Was it just one, two or was she running a complex bluff by holding all three and setting things up to make everyone else waste several turns trying to get to the Conservatory to prove/disprove that it was the room in question?

Just how sneaky _was_ Hermione?

.

"…so I accuse Mrs White of performing the fell deed, using the Candlestick in the Billiards Room!" Luna declared, reaching out for the trio of cards in their envelope. Pulling out the cards, her triumphant expression crumbled.

"Well… _poop_."

Replacing the cards back in the envelope, she returned them to the center of the board with a pout as Neville picked up the dice. Rolling a three, he moved his token to just outside the kitchen, then Hermione spoke.

"I accuse Mrs White, who used the lead pipe in the _conservatory_."

Picking up the envelope, Hermione pulled out the cards, then laid them flat to show that her accusation had been correct. A moment later, she flipped over her own cards and showing that she had the Billiards Room as one of her cards. Harry flipped the Candlestick card onto the table and Luna stuck her tongue out at him, then at Hermione who hid a smirk behind a hastily-raised hand.

"Okay, you are sneaky." Harry admitted as he started to collect the cards and sort them while Neville returned the dice and tokens to their relevant compartments in the game box.

"That was fun." Ginny stretched in her seat as Luna folded the board up and handed it to Neville. "I…"

Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by a knock on the door and everyone turned to see Draco standing calmly on the other side of the door, his normal shadowswaiting to one side. Getting up, Harry slid the door open.

"Lord Apparent Malfoy." He said politely.

"Lord Potter, Heir Longbottom, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood." Draco gave them a nod verging on a bow. "I came to ask if you have heard about the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament."

"I have." Harry replied, motioning behind his back for the others to let him take care of it. "Given the high amount of fatalities in the past, I have no interest in trying to enter and I doubt that my friends will seek to either."

"I also intend not to enter and I have suggested to my friends that they avoid it too." Draco nodded. "I have others I need to contact, so I bid you all good day."

With another nod-verging-on-a-bow, Draco strode off, Crabbe and Goyle falling in behind him.

"…that was strange." Neville finally said.

.

"Zabini."

"Malfoy."

Draco waved his followers away and stepped into the compartment, closing the door behind him.

"Zabini… I have received a message."

"From Crouch Jr?" Blaise asked, earning a surprised stare. "My mother _Obliviated_ several of her former husbands whenever they caught her doing something like re-writing their wills. I have a resistance to it as a result of being caught in the edge of the spell several times. While it still affects me, the effects do not last more than a month. I remember what happened… and how it was _your_ plan that saved us from Azkaban."

"This… makes things easier." Draco nodded. "Your mother has contacts, yes?"

"She does." Blaise agreed.

"And you can use them yourself?"

"Most of them, yes. What do you need?"

"Someone to perform a job… and maybe even remove a threat to our future."

"…I'm listening."

* * *

.

"…so, anyone else want to say anything before our students get here?" Minerva asked.

"If I may?" Horace Slughorn said diffidently and Minerva nodded for him to continue. "I know that I have only just rejoined Hogwarts, and I must thank you all for making me feel welcome, but regarding the other two schools... where are we going to _put_ them?"

"They are bringing their own lodgings with them." Minerva replied. "Headmistress Olympe Maxine has informed me that the carriages they are using have been equipped with Wizarding Tents while Headmaster Theseus Scamander Jr has written to me, explaining that he will be bringing his students on a ship which has been significantly expanded on the inside."

"Theo has told me much the same thing." Albus confirmed. "It will be good to see him again. Did you know that he is the youngest Headmaster that Durmstrang has ever had?"

"Didn't he take over after Karkaroff was killed?" Snape asked and Albus nodded, his jovial expression slipping.

"Yes. They still don't know who was responsible, or how."

"Moving on." Minerva interjected. "Professor Slughorn, you have my permission to re-start your Slug Club, but with a few caveats. One, all guests from outside Hogwarts are to be approved of by myself or Deputy Headmaster Lupin. Two, you will be assigned a room for your club. I believe that the classroom next to the one you will be teaching in is available. Three, Saturdays only, preferably after lunch and finishing by nine in the evening."

"More than acceptable, Headmistress." Horace smarmed. "Thank you."

"I will include it in the announcement at the opening feast." Minerva added and Horace beamed at her.

"I've also been informed that the noticeboards in the common rooms should be fully operational now, meaning that any list put in the Library noticeboard will be duplicated in the common rooms." Minerva gave a nod to Madam Pince, who was sat in the corner with a faint scowl. "This will help our students find out what they need to know without needing to crowd around the noticeboard in the library."

"Noisy brats." Madam Pince sniffed.

"…if any of the boards do not work for any reason, Remus is the one to contact."

Remus nodded.

"Finally, for the Heads of House who have… _problematic_ students, please impress on them the need to _not_ show up Hogwarts in front of the other schools."

"I'll speak to the Twins _personally_." Septima Vector stated firmly. "We will _not_ have a repetition of the _Custard Incident_ while I have anything to say about it."

"I shall ensure that the few of my snakes who may decide to act up are given reason to rethink their potential actions." Snape added as Horace looked confused.

"Thank you." Minerva looked round. "Any other business at this point? Then you are dismissed until the Feast."

Horace made sure that he left beside Albus, who had held back as the younger (and more spry) members had filed out.

"Albus, what can you tell me about Lord Potter?" Horace prompted as the door closed behind them and the stairs started to carry them down.

"Hoping to add him to your club, are you?" Albus chuckled.

"Can you blame me?"

* * *

.

The squealing of brakes echoed through the carriage as the train slowed to a stop by the Hogsmead station. Hermione leaned out of the window, looking round curiously.

"The station's been upgraded!" She announced as the train stopped with a final jolt. "The lights are new, the roof stretches over the carriages… and there are new flagstones on the platform!"

"I know." Harry said and Hermione turned round, ducking back into the carriage.

"You do?"

"It was part of the upgrades in Hogsmead." Harry explained as he led them into the corridor. "Took a while to set up, but there's now a Switching Room connecting to Hogsmead itself and the path for the First-years has been totally re-laid and the illumination improved."

"Hagrid must be happy." Ginny noted as the Care of Magical Creature Professor's voice echoed across the platform.


	7. The Opening Feast

"Were we ever that small?" Neville joked as Remus Lupin led the crowd of first-years into the Great Hall. Hermione motioned for him to shut up as Remus pulled out a three-legged stool and placed it in front of the Teacher's Table, then accepted the Sorting Hat and placed it on the stool. For a long moment, the Hall was silent, then the Hat twitched and started to sing as oddly familiar music sounded.

" _This is the real life,  
_ _This ain't no fantasy  
_ _At Hogwarts your first year  
_ _Will be the start of your new journey_

" _Raise your wands high  
_ _To your Houses fly  
_ _When I sort thee!  
_ _You are new here, you don't know what to think  
_ _But don't worry, you'll soon know  
_ _Where you are, bound to go  
_ _On your head I'll soon go, and your places find for you-oooo  
_ _for you-ooo._

" _Gryffindor, house of the brave.  
_ _Against the dark holds fast,  
_ _Will defend until the last._

_Hufflepuff, with friends all around,  
_ _Will never let you feel lost or aloo-oone_

_Ravenclaw, scrolls and tomes!  
_ _Knowledge they do seek  
_ _And Slytherin is where you plan and observe  
_ _What others do, from the sides, as you guide unseen._

" _This school, ancient and proud,  
_ _The founders four did make,  
_ _By the deep and chilly lake  
_ _So come, everybody, and learn how to  
_ _Cast the spells, draw runes and stir the potion…  
_ _Hogwarts! Welcomes you!  
_ _Stand tall and strong!  
_ _For here in this magic place, you belong!  
_ _I'm never wrong… never wrong…  
_ _Time for sorting comes…_

"…the Sorting Hat is a Queen fan?!" Hermione gaped.

.

The last of the first-years scurried to the Hufflepuff benches, where he was welcomed by one of the Prefects and the echoes of the applause died away as Headmistress McGonagall rose from her seat.

"To those who have just been Sorted, welcome to Hogwarts and to everyone else, welcome back." She began, a hint of a smile on her otherwise stern face. "Before we get to the serving of the food, which most of you are eagerly waiting for, I have a few announcements to make.  
"Deputy Headmaster Lupin has taken over as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for this year, although he will be departing at the end of the year as he has other jobs outside Hogwarts that he needs to attend to.  
"Our former headmaster Albus Dumbledore is now officially _Professor_ Dumbledore and will be teaching Transfiguration. In addition, those who have passed their OWLs will have the option of studying the art of Alchemy under his direction.  
"I am pleased to introduce our new Wizarding Studies teacher, Professor Horace Slughorn, former Potions Teacher and one-time Head of Slytherin, now returning to us after deciding that he wanted to do more than mere retirement. As well as helping Muggleborns acclimatize to the Magical World, Professor Slughorn is restarting his Slug Club, a social club that he ran when he last taught here. Those of you lucky enough to be invited will find that the Club meets on Saturday afternoons.  
"This year, primarily at the behest of the Ministry of Magic, we will see the resurrection of an ancient tradition, the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which is going to be held here at Hogwarts this year. For the safety of the competitors, only those who are of age, that is 17 or over, will be eligible to enter and can put their names forward for selection by the Goblet of Fire."

"Question, Headmistress!" Harry called as he stood up. "Well, two questions…make that three. First, do you mean 17 as of today, as of putting the name into the Goblet or as of the first task?"

Minerva glanced at Dumbledore.

"Ummm, the second one, putting the name into the Goblet." Dumbledore responded, causing several of the older students to look disappointed.

"Secondly, will there be protections so that people can only enter their own name?" Harry continued. "I mean, if I were to pay… say… Mr Towler to place… say, Lord-Apparent Malfoy's name in the Goblet…"

Dumbledore blinked. "That is a good point and I will ensure that extra charms will be added to prevent such an occurrence."

"Thank you." Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I didn't want to end up competing because someone thought I could replicate what I was supposed to have done in those pieces of so-called literature that claim to show the young adventures that I never actually had."

"And your third question, Lord Potter?" Dumbledore prompted.

"Does this mean Quidditch is cancelled this year?"

"Sadly, yes." Dumbledore replied and instantly almost half the students were on their feet, shouting protests. Suddenly the doors to the hall slammed open and everyone turned to gape at the scarred man limping in, every other step creating a wooden _thunk_.

"Ah, Alastor, welcome." Dumbledore smiled. "May I introduce the man who will be in charge of security during the Tournament, Alastor Moody, Retired Auror."

"Dumbledore. McGonagall." Alastor grunted as he made his way to the vacant chair at the end of the table. "I caught the questions, lad's got a good head on his shoulders. I'll be telling Crouch that we need extra help if we're to make sure his idea works."

Minerva waited for the scarred man to sit down before turning back to the silent, wide-eyed hall.

"Now, let us celebrate the start of the new school year. Let the feast commence!"

As the students turned their attention to the food in front of them, Minerva leaned towards Albus.

"Lord Potter made some very good points."

"He did indeed." Albus agreed. "Alastor, I believe that you and I shall be spending most of the evening going over the planned protections and re-working them."

Moody looked up from the food he was suspiciously poking with his fork and gave a sharp nod.

At the other end of the table, Horace finished pouring wine into his goblet, then looked across to where Andromeda and Severus was sitting.

"Severus…?"

Snape turned slightly to look at Horace. "Yes?"

"As a former potions teacher, should you need anyone to watch over your students on their projects while you deal with issues of your House, I would be happy to offer my services. The same goes for you and your students too, Professor Tonks."

"Thank you, Professor Slughorn." Andromeda replied with a slight smile.

"Please call me Horace, my dear. As a fully accredited Potions Mistress yourself, you have more than earned the right."

"We have received a request from St Mungos for a resupply on several potions." Severus noted. "May I ask for you to oversee their brewing while I am teaching?"

"Of course, my boy." Horace smiled. "I have heard that you have found ways to increase the strength of several potions as well as make brewing others easier. I look forwards to learning from you."

.

"My father was part of Slughorn's _Slug Club_." Neville said as he piled vegetables onto his plate. "My mother wasn't."

"He seemed very keen to talk to me at the Ball."Harry noted. "I think that he's going to try and invite me. If I remember correctly, my mother was part of his club too."

"We may have to hold our study club in the morning instead of after lunch in order to avoid overlapping. Maybe we should expand it to weekday evenings too." Hermione mused as she speared a second potato with her fork. "Former Potions Master… I wonder if we'll see him in Professor Tonks' class?"

"Daddy says that Professor Slughorn likes to collect those he thinks will become important." Luna noted between spoonfuls of soup. "He's also very good at keeping track of favors."

Harry glanced at Horace, who was laughing at something that Professor Tonks had said, then turned his attention back to his food.

.

.

"About the Tri-Wizard Tournament, are you going to try to enter? I mean, you are emancipated." Hermione asked as they made their way to Ravenclaw Tower and Harry shook his head.

"No. The prize money is almost useless to me as I'm already incredibly wealthy and I have no need to try and prove myself. Besides, I'm already on the Wizengamot, so why should I put myself in danger before then when by simply continuing to do what I'm doing, I can do far more good."

Hermione nodded and Harry hid a smirk as he heard all those close enough to overhear mutter in approval as to his logic.

"What about the fame?" One of the older students asked curiously.

"Can _you_ name the last winner of the Tri-Wizard?" Harry shot back and the boy shook his head.

"Constantine Halliday, Beauxbatons."

Everyone stopped walking and turned to stare at the girl who had supplied the answer, causing her to blush.

"What? He was the last Champion who survived the competition and was one of my ancestors…"

"…makes sense." Harry shrugged, causing most of the attention the girl was receiving to transfer to him. "Someone wins something big like that, they're going to be remembered by their children and children's children for bragging rights, if nothing else."

A muttering of agreement sounded and the paused procession resumed its journey towards the Ravenclaw tower. Soon, they had all filed through the door to find Filius waiting for them on his dais.

"Good evening, everyone!" He called, attracting their attention. "Welcome back to Hogwarts, and a special welcome for the new members of our House.  
"As Ravenclaws, you are expected to seek out knowledge, both old and new. However, it is only too easy to fall into the trap of relying entirely on books as the fount of all knowledge.  
"Don't! Remember that books are written by people and people have opinions. Some wish to aggrandize themselves while others wish to destroy reputations. When you read something, try to verify it. Research, question and double-check. Just because something has not been seen before, doesn't mean that it cannot exist. Why, Lord Potter gave us quite a demonstration of that two years ago when he used family magics to win his duel against the fraud Gilderoy Lockhart, magics which had never before been seen or even suspected to exist, yet exist they do. Remember that.  
"Now, you may have questions and I will be happy to answer them… _tomorrow_. For tonight, though, you should head up to your rooms and ensure that everything is unpacked in a fashion that will allow you to know where everything is, then you should get some sleep.  
"After all, tomorrow will be a brand new day. Goodnight, and pleasant dreams!"

* * *

.

"Mr Crouch?"

"Ah, Madam Umbridge!" Barty jolted in his seat and tried to surreptitiously return the bottle he had been drinking from back into the drawer it had been stored in. "Working late too, I see?"

"Indeed I am… Mr Crouch." Umbridge strode into the room. "I heard that there might be some issues regarding your little contests, so I decided to see if I could… _smooth_ the path, so to speak."

Barty froze, his face rapidly paling and Umbridge nodded.

"Excellent. Now, let us discuss _exactly_ what you have been doing with the Tri-Wizard so far, shall we?"

Barty twitched in what may have been a nod. "Wea… Wea… _grrk_ … Weasley!"

The young man that Dolores had walked past bustled in from the outer office. "How may I help, Director Crouch?"

"Director Crouch and I were about to go over the arrangements for the Tri-Wizard, Mr Weasley." Dolores said smoothly and Crouch jerkily nodded. "If you could bring us the file, that would be _wonderful_."

Weasley nodded and walked over to the row of cabinets adorning one wall, pulling open a drawer without hesitating and extracting a large file.

"That will be all, Mr Weasley." Dolores took the file from his hand. "I do believe that we can take it from here. Why not go home and relax? After all, I'm sure you'll be in bright and early tomorrow, right?"

"Oh, yes!" Crouch agreed instantly. "I wouldn't want you to over-work yourself…"

"Thank you sir. Then I bid you a good evening, Under-Secretary Umbridge." Weasley bowed slightly. "Goodnight, Director."

Crouch managed to smile and wave, although the former resembled a rictus more than anything and Umbridge used her wand to levitate a chair closer before opening the file and leafing through it.

"My, my, my. You know, Barty… may I call you Barty? After all, we're all friends here in the Ministry. It looks like your handwriting has _really_ improved… and _such_ attention to detail!"

Crouch's fixed grin took on an edge of panic.


	8. Settling In

"Is it true?" A young voice asked as Harry and Neville stepped into the Ravenclaw Common room. The two exchanged confused looks, then turned back to the first-year who was practically vibrating in eagerness.

"…is _what_ true?" Neville finally asked.

"Can you really turn into animals?" The young boy asked while the other new first-years watched from a nearby sofa. Rather than give a verbal answer, Neville simply seemed to twist and warp into his orange-furred shape.

"… _cooooooool_!" The boy gasped as Neville knuckled up to him, then reached out one long arm and patted the boy gently on his head.

"So… If I remember correctly, you're Stewart… _Ackerley_? Did I get that right?" Harry asked and Stewart nodded as Neville reverted back to his human form.

"That was _awesome_!" Stewart gasped. "Do we get to learn how to do that?"

"Well, first of all, I would recommend learning _Occlumancy_." Hermione said as she stepped into the Common Room, Ginny, Luna and Parvati close behind her. "It is a great deal easier to become an Animagus if you have a well-ordered mind."

Parvati nodded. "It's true. I've been practicing every day and I'll soon be ready."

"Quite a few of the teachers are Animagi." Ginny added.

"Even Professor Flitwick?" One of the girls asked and Ginny shook her head, but a new voice broke in before she could reply.

"Sadly, my heritage prevents me from attaining that particular skill." Filius replied from the doorway to his office. "The same goes for Lord Hagrid. As for the rest of us… there's a list in the library of registered animagi. You may want to check it out some time."

"Thank you, sir!" The first-years chorused, then they started giggling.

"And one of the downstairs rooms has had a greenhouse attached to it." Filius added. "Albus paid for it himself after he became an Animagi so no matter the weather, everyone who has an animal form now has a place that they can relax in it. Lord Potter, I do believe that it would also make a good place for your study group."

"It certainly sounds like it." Harry agreed.

"Well, you must be hungry, so why not show our newest Housemates how to get to the Great Hall and back?" Filius prompted and Harry laughed.

"Yes sir. Alright, you lot. Form up and let's go!"

Harry led the assembled first-years out of the Common room and turned left.

"Now, Hogwarts is a magical place which doesn't always make sense, so to get to just outside the Great Hall, we go up this set of stairs and the next one, then turn around and come down them."

"It works." Ginny added before any of the first-years could do more than open their mouths to ask. "The stairs go to one place if you go up and a completely different place if you head down. Don't worry about it, the Arithmancy is apparently very complicated."

.

Draco looked up from his plate as Potter entered the Great Hall, a large number of his followers in tow. A sneer tried to form on his face, but he fought it down.

"I've spoken to Professor Snape." Zabini said as he sat down beside Draco, ignoring Crabbe and Goyle who were chomping their way through large bowls of porridge. "Over the weekend, I'll be trying out as our new Seeker. I've shown him that I have a Comet S5 for it. Thanks for arranging that discount, if I haven't mentioned it before."

"You are welcome." Draco replied. "Owning a Broomstick store _does_ have some advantages. I was quite surprised that you didn't go for the Firebolt."

"Too expensive, even _with_ the discount." Blaise shook his head. "Sure, all of its capabilities are better than even the S5, but I sat down and worked out the relative costs. You actually pay more per mile-per-hour for the Firebolt than you do for any of the Comet S-series."

"…an interesting way of looking at it." Draco admitted. "Well, you'll have a full year to practice and… I wonder."

"You wonder _what_?" Blaise asked and Draco smirked at him.

"Blaise, do you think you could outplay Chang or Kenyon?"

"…unless they've upgraded, I think I could." Blaise mused. "Why do you ask?"

"Due to the Tri-Wizard, there is no inter-House Quidditch this year." Draco smirked, then he . "But maybe we could have a different level."

"What?" Blaise sounded confused and Draco smirked at him, then ate the last piece of sausage, chewing it before swallowing.

"If you will excuse me, I believe that I need to speak to the teachers."

His expression hinting at the confusion that he was feeling, Blaise watched Draco walk away.

.

"Headmistress McGonogall, may I make a request?"

McGonogall looked up from her cinammon-sprinkled porridge, one eyebrow quirked. "Of course, Lord-Apparent Malfoy."

"Professors Snape, Vector, Sprout and Flitwick, if you would also be kind enough to give your opinion?" Draco requested. "I know that with the Tri-Wizard tournament coming here, we will not have our usual Quidditch matches, but I have been considering the situation and I have to ask, could we host _Inter-school_ matches? Have a multi-house team from Hogwarts compete against similar teams from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons?"

"An intriguing idea, Mr Malfoy." Snape steepled his fingers. "Aside from the need to choose said team and have them train together, I see no insurmountable problems."

"Who did you have in mind for the team?" Flitwick asked curiously.

"The Beaters would have to be the Weasley Twins." Draco said calmly."I am certain that everyone would agree that there are no better Beaters at this time in Hogwarts. For a similar reason, I would ask Lord Potter to be the Keeper. I would be happy to apply for the position of Chaser, although I would ask Mr Diggory to be the lead Chaser due to his experience and skill, he is without doubt the best Chaser currently here. The third Chaser… I remain undecided. As for Seeker, I would suggest a Seeker's Duel to decide."

"Five points to Slytherin for a well-reasoned set of suggestions." Flitwick stated and the tinkling of gems in the large hourglasses marked the first awarded points of the year. "Minnie? It has my vote."

"Five more points for seeking to include all the Houses." Minerva agreed. "I will contact the other two schools and I will have your answer by the end of the day."

Draco bowed slightly at the implied dismissal and returned to the Slytherin Table, where several of his House-mates were giving him looks of approval (or jealousy) for being the first to score points.

.

"Whatever Malfoy did, it was obviously approved of." Hermione noted as several gems fell from the upper bulb of the Slytherin Hourglass into the lower one.

Harry nodded in agreement, then helped himself to more of the hash browns and bacon from the platter in front of him.

"So, Ginny, Luna, what did you choose to study?" Hermione continued. "You never mentioned what your choices were."

"I'm doing CoMC, Arithmancy and Runes." Luna supplied. "So's Ginny."

Ginny nodded, but didn't reply since her mouth was full of food.

"Good choices." Harry nodded, putting down his teacup. "Hagrid really knows his stuff with CoMC, so make sure you listen to him. Speaking of, I'm going to visit him this afternoon. I find myself missing his rock cakes."

One of the sixth-year students close enough to overhear stared at Harry in shock.

"You… what?"

"They're tasty." Harry countered and the student shook his head in disbelief, but before he could continue, Flitwick appeared and started handing out pieces of paper.

"Your timetables for the year." He smiled and Harry looked at his own.

"Huh. First period on Monday is free and… Staff lessons?"

"Optional for year three and above." Filius noted. "You need a Staff of your own in order to participate and the teacher is Aberforth Dumbledore."

"I remember seeing him use a Staff during the battle." Harry mused. "I didn't get to see much, but he was _good_. I'll have to see if I can get a Staff of my own. It sounds useful."

"Staffs have both advantages and disadvantages." Flitwick agreed. "Oh, Miss Granger? I tested it out and that spell doesn't work against Staffs. They just absorb it."

"Thank you for telling me." Hermione smiled as she accepted her own timetable. "I'll see if I can come up with a version that _does_ work on them."

"You'll have your chance." Flitwick agreed. "The first lesson is just being measured up for a Staff, but if you want to have one, you will have to pay. It generally takes a few weeks for a Staff to be made, but Ollivander's good enough that he can make five or six at once."

"Sir…" Ginny asked and Flitwick paused. "Do you use a Staff?"

"I'm a little bit too short for that." Flitwick chuckled. "Besides, I generally find that my enemies run away if I simply _axe_ them."

Herry groaned at the bad pun, as did Hermione and Neville.

"How much to staffs cost?" Hermione asked. "I've saved up quite a bit…"

"Anywhere between ten Galleons for a basic staff to several thousand for one inlaid with runic schema, filligree and multiple jewels to enhance the magical capacity." Flitwick answered almost instantly, causing several of the students to flinch. "Unlike Wands, though, Staffs can be upgraded over time, meaning that the cost of getting a full Wizard's Staff can be spread out over several decades. Another advantage of Staffs is that if you find yourself facing something immune to magic, you have a long length of wood to hit it with until it goes away."

Flitwick trotted off, chuckling to himself as the students exchanged glances.

"I think I'll see if I have a Staff in my Family Vault." Harry finally said thoughtfully.

* * *

.

"Do you think that this is enough security?" Albus half-joked as he stretched his shoulders, then rubbed at the small of his back.

"You can _never_ have too much security." Moody countered as he stepped back and looked at the circular wooden platform with the central, fixed plinth ready for the Goblet of Fire to be placed on it. "Okay, so that's an Age Ward, a Ward to prevent people from carrying a name not their own to the Goblet, an anti-throwing Ward, meaning that they'll have to actually position the paper _above_ the cup before it'll go in, a Ward that cancels spells such as _Wingardium Leviosa_ , an anti-Polyjuice Ward… still don't know how Flitwick managed to get that for us to put in the Plinth… an anti-Imperious Ward, an anti-Animagus Ward… Owl-repulsion array… Looking good. Between the Wards on this dais and the Wards around Hogwarts, I think that this is going to be as secure as we can make it."

"And if _you_ say it's secure, then _no-one_ will be able to get through the defenses." Albus chuckled.

* * *

.

"The Goblet of Fire!" Dolores breathed as she slowly circled the relic on its plinth. "Incredible… and _old_. It will need to be protected."

"Oh, my, yes!" Crouch agreed instantly. But people still need to be able to get to it, so…"

"The Goblet itself must not be changed." Dolores mused. "Perhaps a stand with protective runes on it, to hold the Goblet in place and protect it from anything thrown at it, but with the Wards open at the top to allow for the paper to be placed inside."

"An excellent idea!" Barty agreed.

"Quite right, you are a _genius_ for coming up with it." Dolores smirked. "You know, I do believe that there is a shop in Tegg's Nose that could help with that."

"The Peacock's Ring!" Barty realized. "Oh my… but wouldn't it be expensive?"

"Advertising?" Dolores said quietly, just loud enough for Crouch to overhear.

"…but if we let them put a poster in the window saying that they were the ones to do it, they'll probably be happy to do it for cost!"

"Quite right." Dolores nodded. "Why not go ask?"

Barty nodded and bounced out of the room. Once the door closed behind him, Dolores sighed.

"Bloody moron." She grumbled, then pulled out her wand and a sheet of parchment.

"Let's see, the spell will have to place the paper in _just_ the right place to fall into the Goblet while Confunding it enough that it'll accept it as genuine… this will be quite a challenge… but my contacts will be up for it… if they know what's good for them…"

As she muttered to herself, she sent diagnostic spell after diagnostic spell at the Goblet, the results writing themselves on the parchment.

* * *


	9. Staffing Issues

"…interesting staff." Neville noted as Harry stepped out to join the assembled group on the lawn where Aberforth had decided to hold his Sunday morning lessons.

"Mahogany wood, Mithtil end-caps and a core of Basilisk Scales and venom, donated by SssSthss." Harry lifted the Staff slightly to show it off. "The staff itself has inlaid runes to help it absorb magic and store it, alter its size as well as anti-summoning capabilities. It has several other tricks, but the main one is a MageBlade in the end-caps. Like this."

A translucent blue blade materialized on the upper end of the Staff, the edges of the leaf-shaped blade glowing brighter than the middle, then it vanished again.

"…cool." Neville admitted. "My parents sent me their Staffs to see which one worked better. This one used to be my Dad's… which is odd, given how I couldn't really use his Wand…"

"That's because Wands are all about precision and delicacy while Staffs are a brute-force thing." Aberforth stated as he strode up, his staff slung across his shoulders while nearby, Ollivander waved his wand and caused a long table to leap out of his small bag. "Wands need to mesh with your magic at the fine level whereas Staffs are all about how much power you can channel and hold."

"Crude, inaccurate but there is _some_ truth to it." Ollivander noted as he levitated a number of pieces of wood and bottles of various substances into place on the table. "If you wish a better metaphor, Wands are like fine silk gloves whereas Staffs are as steel gauntlets."

"And we use them to _punch_." Aberforth growled in agreement. "So, those of you who want Staffs, see Olivander. Those of you who _have_ them, get over there. Those of you here to watch… don't get in the way."

Hefting his Staff, Harry moved to where Aberforth had indicated, Neville close behind while Hermione moved towards the table.

"So, present your staffs. If you know what they are, tell… I recognize that staff. Longbottom, right? See your Dad gave you his Staff. Know it well. Teak base, bronze endcaps and a core of Dragon Heartstrings. Six and a half foot of pure beat-down. Heard that he used it to take out a Nest of Vampires once."

Neville straightened in pride and Aberforth gave a sharp nod. "He was a good Auror. A good man. You have a lot to live up to."

"I will do my best." Neville said and Aberforth nodded again.

"That's all I ask. Hmph. Malfoy."

Harry looked across to see Draco Malfoy standing with a Staff in his hands.

"Mr Aberforth." Draco said with a slight bow. "My father never actually used a Staff. I wish to prove myself different from him."

"A wise choice." Aberforth grudgingly allowed. "So… what is it?"

"Ebony wood capped with Goblin Silver, with a core of Thestral Tail-hairs. Six feet and four inches."

"It's not the size, it's how you use it that counts." Aberforth shot back as he unslung his own Staff, showing that it was about the same height as himself. "Using a Staff is about far more than just casting spells. You need to learn to _fight_ with it. Strike with it, use it to block… _Muggle_ style."

Harry was impressed at Draco's non-reaction.

So was Aberforth. "Well done, you've proven to me, at least, that you ain't like your old Pa. So… girly! Can you use that thing?"

"I already have." Luna grinned up at the elderly man. "And this was my Grandma's Staff."

"Huh." Aberforth looked taken aback. "Thought it had been cracked beyond use."

"A good friend fixed it for me… and even upgraded it."

"We'll see." Aberforth looked at the half-dozen in line. "Grab some padding and we'll start you off with the basic moves."

.

Harry brought his Staff up in a horizontal block that stopped Neville's downwards strike, then leapt sideways to avoid the follow-up rising strike. Shifting his grip, he ducked under Neville's swipe and thrust his own staff out, catching Neville behind his knee. Reacting even before the strike had connected, Neville threw himself into a backwards roll, his move robbing the blow of much of its strength and an instant later, he was back on his feet, fending off the lunging attack that Harry sent his way.

"Hold!"

Aberforth strode forwards, his eyes intent. "You've had training. Both of you. Don't recognize the style, though."

"Neither do I." Alistair Moody called from the sidelines. "But I see where it came from. Potter, you used a similar style against the Obscurials."

"I did." Harry agreed as Neville took several deep breaths, trying to regain his strength. "That was _Torquasm Rao_ I used back then. The Staff Form is one of the offshoots, _Torquasm_ _Raogrhys_. Neville and I have been practicing for a couple of months."

"…interesting name." Aberforth admitted. "Looks very efficient."

"The aim is to deal as much damage as possible without taking any in return." Harry agreed. "Pointless moves like staff-spinning or twirling are relegated to warm-ups as while they improve dexterity and control, they leave the user open to sudden attacks."

"Wise." Alistair called as he stomped towards them. "Some of those moves would have left _me_ eating dirt. Abe, you continue the others on the basic forms, I'll teach these two how to cast shields and block spells."

* * *

.

"You own a Staff shop." Hermione stated as she returned her practice staff to its barrel and Harry blinked in confusion.

"I do?"

"Ollivander told me when he worked out what sort of Staff I would be best suited for." Hermione confirmed as she pulled the padded overcoat off, wincing slightly as she did so. "It's in Tegg's Nose and is called _The Magic Staff Shoppe_."

Harry looked at Neville, only to get an equally blank look in return. "Huh. I… wasn't aware of that."

"Well, I've filled in the form and I should have it ready within a week or so." Hermione replied as she knelt down to undo the leg-protectors. "All I'll need to do is go to the Cavern and pay for it, then I'll have my very own staff to hit idiots with."

Harry and Neville both pretended to flinch away from her and she _huff_ ed in amused annoyance. "As if I'd use it on _your_ heads. I'd probably break the staff hitting things that dense."

"Oi!" Harry laughingly protested.

"I'm going to get a staff too." Ginny announced as she bounced up. "Maybe I can get Bill to teach me a few tricks that my other brothers won't know."

Everyone looked over to where three red-headed boys were handing forms to Ollivander.

"Did you know that Charlie uses a Staff as well?" Ginny asked. "He says that it's saved his life several times since Staff shields are stronger than Wand shields."

"Makes sense." Neville mused. "Hey, Harry, that size-changing thing both you and Luna have, any chance I can get it added to my Staff? And where can I get a two-pocket wrist-holster?"

.

"Mr Malfoy."

"Professor Snape." Draco replied as his Head of House seemed to materialize out of the shadows and fell into step next to him.

"Your father used to use a walking stick to give the impression that he could use a Staff." Severus finally noted. "Having his wand inside it helped him to perform a few tricks to enhance that appearance, but it did mean that should he need to actually _use_ his wand, he needed to extract it first."

"My father did a great many things without thinking them through." Draco agreed, a hint of sourness in his voice. "I will not seek to follow his path."

"A wise decision." Snape's voice was approving. "And how is your mother coping?"

"She is still distracting herself with her position as Regent, but she is making certain that I am prepared for my eventual ascension to Lordship." Draco sighed. "I think that running WWA is helping her. Already, we have recouped all the money that we spent on setting up the shops."

"Still aiming to reclaim the position of _Richest Family_ , are you?" Severus inquired and Draco gave a dry chuckle.

"As mother says, money is like air. It is only of vital importance if you do not have enough. Father didn't see it that way, but mother was always in charge of the primary finances."

"I always wondered about that." Severus admitted.

"It was in the Marriage contract. Mother showed it to me. It said that Mother was to be given full and equal control over finances. It was one reason we became so wealthy, Father… was prone to spending without thought on occasion."

"I have to admit that I was unaware of that facet of their relationship." Severus finally admitted. "And how goes your mother's search for a company in the Muggle World to work with?"

"She is in parallel negotiations with Mr Smithson of Cybertek, a Muggle medical technology company, and Ms Minoru." Draco cracked a smile. "The name of the Muggle company that Ms Minoru owns appealed to her sense of whimsy."

"Why? What is it called?"

.

"Well, that looked exciting." Ollivander noted as he waved his wand to re-pack his stuff. "Why, if I were a few decades younger, I might have been tempted to pull out _my_ staff and see if I could learn anything."

"Surprised you helped to set up that Staff shop." Alistair noted and Ollivander chuckled.

"With all the Wands that I help bring into existence, I have very little time for the intricacies of Staff Lore. Why, even though it is used by the Cursebreakers, it is still a dying art. Teaching a few the basics of Staff Lore and then investing in their shop?"

"Thought that it was one of Potters." Moody interrupted and Ollivander raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, it is… but I also have an share in it. Those who work there are mainly Cursebreakers who were injured greatly in their jobs, so they have some idea of how to use Staffs. I've donated copies of a few tomes so that they can work on bringing round a rennaisance of Staff usage. Why, it may not be too long before we see true works of thaumatage excellence on a par with Merlin's Staff itself!"

"Which Merlin?" Alistair chuckled. "There's at least _three_ of them in history, even if most people get them all mixed up."

"The second Merlin, not the swordsmith or the Slytherin one." Ollivander shrugged as he picked up his satchel, then he paused. "Alistair… I can feel great change on the horizon. Something is going to happen that will change our world."

"Last time you got that feeling was when Voldie snuffed it trying to kill young Potter." Moody growled as he turned to face the elderly Wandsmith, then he looked round in confusion. "What the…? Graah! Hate it when he does that to me!"

"Time for me to go as well." Aberforth noted. "Sure, I've got extra staff for the Hogs Head, but even so, I don't like being away from it for too long."

"See you next week." Moody nodded as Aberforth walked past, heading for the gates.

"Unless you choose to visit before then." Aberforth shot back.

Moody cackled at the reply, then stomped towards the looming bulk of Hogwarts, his wooden leg leaving small gouges in the lawn.

* * *

.

"Our first _proper_ lessons tomorrow." Hermione noted as she reached the top of the stairs, moving aside to let everyone go past her before they headed back down for dinner. "Care of Magical Creatures first, for those of us who have it."

"I wonder what Hagrid's going to show us this time." Neville mused. "What do you think. A Sphinx? Acromantula?"

"If it's one of those, Ron'll run a mile." Ginny chuckled. "He _hates_ spiders."

"He's asked me if he can borrow SssSthss again for a first-year class in a few weeks." Harry added and Hermione shook her head.

"You know, I really like Hagrid, but I think that the fact he's half-giant has led to him having a rather _skewed_ perspecive on what creatures are dangerous." She began as she started to descend the stairs, noting in passing how the bricks soon gave way to ones in a color that hadn't been there on her way up. "I mean, pet dragons, your Basilisk, Hippogryphs… I sometimes think that the more dangerous it is, the more he insists it's just simply misunderstood."

"I… wish I could disagree." Harry finally admitted.


	10. Messages

_Dear Mum and Dad._

_As you may have already learned, I have been Sorted into Slytherin under Professor Severus Snape. Mum, your old Head of House Horace Slughorn is also here as the teacher of Wizarding Studies as well as one of the teachers who helps to oversee_ The Club.

 _You may be wondering what_ The Club _is. Well, it started out as a homework/study group and expanded across all the houses. It meets next to Ravenclaw Tower and the rules are simple, there are no Houses within_ The Club _. In it, the older students often help us younger ones with whatever we don't understand and if they can't help us, they direct us to whichever teacher is visiting. Having Professor Dumbledore explain something is incredible and Professor Slughorn is just as good._ The Club _meets after the final (non-Astronomy) lesson or Saturday mornings and it's very popular._

_It's also a good way to make friends with those from other Houses._

_Entertainment here at Hogwarts is very good. In Slytherin, we have a Magevision Screen mounted on the wall that is connected to a large library of films. Professor Snape has set up a voting method where everyone gets one vote for a film that we have not seen before and the most popular film is shown each evening. Once a week we also watch a film about a Muggle investigator called Poirot, one who uses wit, cunning and deduction to solve crimes. Professor Snape has pointed out that Poirot is a good example of what cunning_ used _to mean._

_Although Quidditch has been called off this year, our team is still practicing with fourth-year Blaise Zabini taking over as Seeker after defeating the previous Slytherin Seeker in an incredibly one-sided Seeker's Duel, although his new Comet S5 may have helped somewhat._

_I've decided that I'm going to do my best to learn to be an Animagus. Professor Dumbledore can turn into a giant tortoise, Headmistress McGonogall is a cat, Heir Longbottom is an Orang-utan (not a monkey!)… it's amazing just how many Animagi there are in Hogwarts!_

_I've seen several other Slytherins use a device called a_ mobile phone _in Hogwarts to actually speak to their family or each other (finding out where your friend has gone can be incredibly useful at times), so I've volunteered to help out with some of the chores such as mucking out the Unicorn Stable in exchange for credit towards getting a phone of my own. It will take quite some time, though, competition is fierce as most of my year-mates want one too (aside from some who already own one)._

_I will write to you again soon (or simply phone if all goes well)._

_Your loving son,_

Graham

* * *

.

The four red-heads crowded round the desk, staring at the screen as the word _Calling_ flashed on it, then the screen blinked to show a very familiar face.

"Hello mum!" All four Weasley siblings chorused and on the other end of the connection, Molly Weasley smiled broadly.

" _Good morning! How are you all enjoying Hogwarts?"_

"I…"/"We…"/"It's…"

The four stopped, realising that they were trying to speak over each other, then Ron shook his head. "Ginny first."

"Thanks, Ron." Ginny smiled. "It's going great, the lessons are interesting, Luna and I are having lots of fun in our animal forms, I'm up to date on my coursework… it's all going really well."

"I'm doing okay as well." Ron took over once it was clear that Ginny had stopped. "I'm keeping up with all my schoolwork and still practising Quidditch. Oliver's training me to take over as Keeper, he says I've got a real knack for it. Sure, I don't think I'll be _Protego_ -level, but I'm doing pretty well so far."

"We're doing great as well."/"We haven't blown up a toilet yet…"

Molly rolled her eyes at Fred and George's joke.

"They're doing very well too." Ron interjected, giving the twins a sideways glare to which they responded by conjouring halos around their heads and trying to look innocent, causing Molly to laugh. "I heard that they'll soon be going through the Animagi Ritual with Lord Black."

" _Oh, that's_ just _what I need."_ Molly mock-complained. _"Animals underfoot, as if I don't have enough problems with the chickens and pigs."_

"Mum!" Ginny pouted and Molly laughed again.

" _Sorry dear, I couldn't resist. Percy dropped by recently, you know he's working in the Department of International Co-operation? Well, along with the Department of Magical Games and Sports,they're in charge of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Percy's working directly for Mr Crouch! That means that you'll be seeing him before too long…"_

As Molly continued to expound on the other activities of the other members of the family, Ginny made a mental note to thank Professor Vector for setting up the call for them and letting them use her office.

.

As she spoke, Molly watched the reactions of her four youngest. Being able to talk through an upgraded Magevision Screen was something that she hadn't been in favor of at first, but all of her reservations were now gone. Getting letters was one thing, actually being able to _see_ that her children were fine in real-time was something else entirely.

Ever since buying those helpful devices from young Harry's company, she had so much extra time to pursue her hobbies.

* * *

.

"Mother." Draco said in greeting as he set the communication mirror on the special stand on his desk.

" _Draco."_ Narcissa nodded back at him. _"I trust all is going well at Hogwarts?"_

"All is calm, although when the Tri-Wizard really begins, I dare say things will be… _interesting_."

" _As are the negotiations in the Muggle World."_ Narcissa sighed, earning a look of curiosity from her son. _"The two companies I thought might be usable have proven… less than optimal for our purposes, but I am still searching."_

"It might be worth checking for those who have left our World and are struggling to make a life for themselves." Draco suggested after a few moments thought. "As loath as I am to take a page from the Potter Grimoire, that _is_ effectively how Evans Enterprises expanded into the Muggle world."

" _An excellent suggestion, my son."_ Narcissa mused. _"I admit that I had been thinking about entering into partnership with an already-existing company so that I could utilise their knowledge, but building from the foundations up has its own advantages… although it will take quite some time to achieve."_

Draco shrugged. "Given our primary focus is within our world, I wouldn't expect anything else. Out of interest…"

" _We are still wealthier than the Blacks."_ Narcissa said with a slight smile. _"Although given that they have managed to purchase several businesses from Evans Enterprises…"_

"What?" Draco interrupted. "Why would they do that?"

* * *

.

"Hmph." Moody turned the short stand over in his hands. The ring-shaped stand was shaped to fit around the base of the Goblet of Fire and Moody had watched as it was activated so that he could examine the Wards it projected. "Not bad."

The pink-clad witch standing to one side looked affronted, but Barty Crouch breathed a loud sigh of relief.

"It meets with your approval? If we put it under the Goblet now, that'll be one less thing to worry about."

Moody gave a slow nod. "Agreed. Put the cup on the stand, then box it up ready to transport. I assume that it'll remain under guard until it's installed at Hogwarts?"

"Six aurors on rotating detail, Auror Emeritus Moody." The witch replied and Moody glanced at her.

"Picked by you?"

"By Madam Bones." Umbridge replied, sounding somewhat annoyed at his implication and Moody nodded again, handing the stand back to Crouch.

"I need to tweak the protections we already have so they'll not clash with those, but good job."

"Do you wish to watch?" Crouch offered and Moody grunted in annoyance.

"Can't. Got a meeting with the Bulgarians since one of their most famous is part of the visit. But if _anything_ happens, get word to me."

"Of course." Barty agreed instantly and Moody spared just enough time to give them both nods before stomping out. Handing the stand to Umbridge, Crouch pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and rubbed his forehead with it.

"That man worries me." He admitted. "I _know_ he's devoted to law and order, but I still get the feeling that he is simply waiting for an excuse to arrest me."

Umbridge offered the stand back to him as he crammed the handkerchief back into the pocket it had come from.

"Thank you, Dolores." Crouch accepted the disc-shaped stand back. "Are the Aurors here yet?"

As if in answer to his question, a knock sounded on the door, then two Aurors entered.

"Excellent." Crouch breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, shall we get this into place?"

Dolores watched them go, then her serene expression morphed into vindictive glee as the door closed.

"That idiot didn't even notice the extra bit I added while he was wiping off his sweat." She gloated quietly. "Even without the favor I was offered, I would have done this anyway. That halfblood is going to pay and watching him die will be _so_ sweet."

Pausing long enough to replace her calm expression, she exited the office.

After all, she had regulations to tweak.

* * *

.

Minerva scowled as she sent another document to the delete bin.

"Stupid morons want to get us back to being overworked again." She grumbled as the holographic bin flashed to indicate that the memo had been erased. "Falker!"

A House-elf _pop_ ped into existence and bowed to her.

"Headmistressy wants something?"

"A cup of tea, please." Minerva requested and a finger-snap later, a china teacup was on her desk, along with a small plate holding half-a-dozen various biscuits. "Thank you, Falker."

Falker vanished and Minerva took a sip of tea, then turned her attention back to the floating paperwork.

"…request denied." She tapped one of the holographic sheets, which flashed red in response. "We do _not_ use thumbscrews in this school."

A musical chime caught her attention and she waved away the paperwork to allow a screen to form in front of her.

"Hah! It works!" The man on the screen laughed. "I didn't really expect it to, but… Hello, Headmistress McGonogall!"

"Headmaster Scamander" Minerva replied with a slight smile. "It hase been a long time… Theseus."

"That it has, Minerva." The man at the other end of the link smiled. "My nephew Rolf has just enrolled here. It's a shame he's too young to bring over, he'd get along _brilliantly_ with Hagrid. Has his grandfather's way with animals."

"Well, we'll be broadcasting the events, so at least he'll be able to watch." Minerva mused. "So, I assume that you… wait a minute."

Minerva tapped the icon that had flashed into existence in the bottom-right corner of the screen and Theseus' face was replaced with that of a solidly-built woman.

"Headmistress Maxine." Minerva greeted her. "I was just talking to Theseus, may I bring him back into the conversation?"

"Of course." Maxine's response contained only a tiny hint of a french accent and Minerva tapped the corner icon again, causing the screen to stretch sideways a bit to fit both of her fellow headmasters in.

"Olympe, good to see you are doing well." Theseus nodded in greeting.

"Theseus, I trust you are settling into your new role?"

"Not really new, but finally official." Theseus shrugged. "Of course, I've had to hire some new teachers to cover the shortfall caused by attending the Tournament. Had to get the boat rebuilt as well, it was falling apart and relying on magic to prevent it from sinking. Not the sort of thing I wanted to entrust my students to."

"Our carriages are always ready." Olympe didn't smirk, but the pride was evident in her voice. "Minerva, will your staff be able to cope with the Abraxans we use? This particular stable requires… _forceful_ handling and you'll need a good supply of single Malt Whiskey for them."

"I'm sure that Professor Lord Hagrid will be able to cope." Minerva replied smugly and Theseus' eyebrows shot up.

"You mean it's _true_? I know the Prophet reported it, but I never really believe what the Prophet says…"

"It's true." Minerva managed not to laugh at his gobsmacked expression. "Lord Hagrid is our Care of Magical Creatures teacher and Groundskeeper in addition to being a member of the Wizengamot."

Theseus' jaw was hanging loose as he fought to comprehend and Olympe was looking confused.

"And why iz this an issue?" She finally asked.

"Hagrid's a half-giant." Minerva explained. "He's the first Half-giant on the Wizengamot and looks quite… _imposing_ in his robes."

"I can see I'll need to start paying more attention to my old homeland." Theseus admitted.

"It would be a good idea." Minerva smirked at him. "So, let us discuss the Tri-Wizard. Are there any problems with you arriving on Halloween? I can guarantee an excellent feast and I can have a couple of extra tables added for your students. Do you want a table each or are you happy to share?"


	11. Arrivals

"I can't believe that we're missing potions for this." Hermione grumbled as she pulled her cloak tighter around her in an attempt to stay warm. Harry glanced over at where the assembled teachers and officials were waiting, a familiar red-head standing just behind Mr Crouch.

"Your brother's here, Ginny." Harry motioned towards the group and Ginny followed his gaze.

"Mum said he probably would be." She replied once she'd spotted him. "You know he wants to become the Minister of Magic some day?"

"Doesn't surprise me." Luna interjected.

"He always was a stickler for rules." Ginny sighed. "You know that he moved out of the Burrow after getting his NEWTs? He's got an apartment in the Tegg's Nose Cavern."

"Means you'll be able to visit him on Hogsmead weekends if you want to." Harry pointed out and Ginny nodded slowly.

"I might, although I'll have to let him know I'm coming. I wouldn't want to catch him bouncing beds with his girlfriend."

Behind them, Neville coughed in attempt to hide his sudden chuckle while Luna simply laughed.

"How long do you think before the other schools arrive?" Hermione asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'd say a few more minutes." Harry supplied, looking up at the darkening skies. "They're coming in from over there, they've just dropped below the cloud layer and are coming in for a landing."

"Are you certain that it's them?" Neville asked after a moment and Harry nodded.

"Yep, huge carriage being pulled by winged horses."

"Ooh, I wanna see!" Luna shed her cloak as she ran past them, then leapt up into the air, transforming as she did so. Her wings beat powerfully as she soared into the air and a second avian shape joined her as Fawkes took position just off her wing.

"Dammit, Luna." Hermione sighed as she picked up Luna's cloak, folding it so that she could fit it into one of her pockets.

"Where's she going?" One of the other students asked, then he answered himself before anyone else could. "Over there! It's a flying carriage!"

The assembled crowd shifted as everyone tried to get a good view without going onto the part of the lawn that had been marked off, those who couldn't instantly see the new arrivals using Luna as a signpost as to where they should be looking.

The airborne carriage soon swelled into view and swooped down, Luna and Fawkes holding position to either side until it was just about to touch down, then the peeled off as it landed on the lawn, the horses cupping their wings as they fought to slow the carriage, a task aided by the well-wrapped man on the drivers seat pulling the brake lever to bring it to a stop exactly in front of the waiting adults.

As Hagrid moved to the pegasi, the driver clambered down and moved to the door, reaching underneath to swing out a set of steps that locked into position. Stepping to one side, he knocked on the door, which swung open to allow the occupants of the carriage to step out. In the lead was a huge woman who stood at about the same height as Hagrid. Looking round, she strode forwards to Minerva and the two of them bowed to each other.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Headmistress Maxine." Minerva pitched her voice to carry to everyone watching. "We are honored that you have accepted our hospitality."

"We are honored to be here, Headmistress McGonagall." Maxine replied with a smile as she looked down at her counterpart. "And as I have already told you, you may call me Olympe."

Minerva stepped sideways and waved for the Beauxbatons students to enter. "It is rather chilly today, we have hot drinks waiting for you in the Great Hall."

"Given the weather, we shall accept." Olympe agreed as she turned to face her students, many of whom were looking rather pale. "Move along, it is time to warm up."

The mainly-female students moved elegantly-yet-quickly into Hogwarts, followed by quite a few Hogwarts students, although Olympe remained outside, her hands tucked into a large furry muff.

"Boys." Hermione huffed as she noted that almost all of the Hogwarts students heading in were male, but Harry was staring at the lake.

"Anyone else seeing disturbances in the water? It looks like ripples are trying to form a circle."

Paying only a small amount of attention to the quiet conversation between McGonogall and the towering Headmistress of Beauxbatons, a conversation that Crouch was trying and failing to include himself in, Harry's friends turned their attention to the lake.

"Now that you mention it… yes." Hermione finally allowed.

A few more moments passed as the waves got bigger, then the waters of the lake suddenly erupted into storm-tossed waves forming a large whirlpool out of which a wooden ship rose, the golden figurehead catching the rays of the setting sun and the gilding flashing as the boat settled. The waters returned to their calm state as the ship sailed towards the pier without any form of visible propulsion, coming to a stop as figures started to appear on the deck. Ropes lashed out, securing the ship, then a gangplank floated into place, allowing the cloaked shapes to descend.

"Did they just use the lake as a portal?" Harry asked curiously.

"Must have done." Hermione mused. "I wonder if the spells are similar to those used in the Floo system…"

Hermione continued muttering as she and the others watched the Durmstrang contingent descend the gangplank, an adult waiting at the top with wand in hand. The reason for his positioning became apparent as one of the students tripped and the man used his wand to levitate the clumsy student to the shore, preventing him from falling into the Black Lake. Once all the students were down, the man followed, then moved to the front and led them up to where the two Headmistresses were waiting.

"A very impressive entrance, Headmaster Scamander." Minerva stated as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Oooh, I wonder if he's related to _Newt_ Scamander!" Luna exclaimed from behind them, causing Hermione to twitch as she hadn't seen the younger girl return. "Um, anyone seen my cloak?"

Wordlessly, Hermione handed it over to Luna, who proceeded to don it and then give Hermione a brief hug.

"Isn't that Victor Krum?" Hermione asked as one of the older students looked round.

"Ron's going to go all fanboy." Ginny sighed. "He was gushing about Krum during the game… I think he'd seriously consider taking a gender-change potion just to get closer."

"…I hope you're joking." Harry finally managed as the last of the Durmstrang students vanished into the castle.

"…a bit." Ginny admitted. "Come on, let's head in. It's getting rather cold out here."

Harry nodded in agreement, although he didn't feel at all chilly.

.

"The Great Hall's bigger." Hermione noted as they entered.

"They've added two more tables." Neville added. "Looks like Durmstrang is between Gryffindor and us while Beauxbatons is between Slytherin and Hufflepuff."

"They've added the banners at the end too." Harry continued. "But there are still only four Hourglasses, so I guess we won't be sharing many lessons."

"How come none of you have commented about the fiery goblet on that pillar?" Ginny enquired as they sat down. "It was the first thing that _I_ noticed."

"It's the Goblet of Fire." Harry shrugged. "We all knew that it was going to be brought in here."

Ginny gave him a brief glare, then turned towards the Teachers Table as McGonogall tapped a goblet with her spoon to get their attention.

"Soon, we will commence the welcome feast and in one week's time, we will have the decision of the Goblet of Fire as to whom the champions of the three schools will be. Let me remind you that to be chosen, you must be seventeen or over and personally place your name into the Goblet, as well as the school for which you are competing. The Goblet will be watched by Aurors to ensure that there is no foul play and will check the parchment of each person before allowing them to step onto the dias to place their name into the Goblet.

Harry glanced over at the table in the corner where the indicated Aurors were and blinked at the sight of a very familiar hair color.

"Isn't that…?" Neville asked quietly, having also looked at the table in question.

"It is." Harry whispered back. "And that's Shacklebolt next to her."

"…huh."

.

When the meal ended and both visiting schools made their way out of the hall, Harry, Neville and Hermione headed for the Auror table where the pink-haired Auror looked up at a hissed comment from Moody and waved.

"Wotcha, guys!"

"Hi, Tonks." Hermione smiled. "You part of the Goblet's guards then?"

"Goblet's Guards…" Tonks mused. "I _like_ that. Yep."

"Tonks, you and Shack are on first shift." Moody growled as he got up from his seat. "Try not to get too distracted."

"Understood, sir." Tonks replied without a trace of her normal levity and Moody snorted in satisfaction before lumbering off, most of the Aurors following him.

"They're heading for the barracks." Tonks explained quietly as Harry watched them go. "Headmistress McGonogall had several rooms reconfigured with beds, bathrooms and everything. Even a couple of cells in case we need to arrest anyone."

"Hello, Nymphadora!"

Tonks closed her eyes for a moment, then turned to give the speaker a glare.

"Mother! You _know_ I hate that name!"

"Don't be silly, dear." Andromeda replied calmly. "It's a lovely name."

"It's sappy and everyone makes fun of it!" Tonks shot back.

"I won't." Harry promised.

"Me neither." Neville added.

"Thanks guys." Tonks grinned. "So, any of you tempted to try?"

"Merlin, no!" Harry exclaimed instantly. "Even if I was old enough, I wouldn't want to."

"Given how rich you are, it would be a lot of risk for a minimal reward." The other Auror noted, barely glancing at Harry. Harry opened his mouth to reply, then paused as he finally noticed the rectangular display set into the table, a display which had a number of glowing dots in one corner.

"A map of the Great Hall?" He asked with a smile.

"Straight from Evans Enterprises." The dark-skinned Auror confirmed. "We've tested it, it even shows those using the best stealth spells and invisibility cloaks we know of."

"Makes our job a _lot_ easier." Tonks added, then she looked up as someone stepped into the Great Hall. Everyone went silent as Victor Krum strode towards the goblet and the dark-skinned Auror rose from his chair and moved to intercept the Seeker. After several moments of quiet discussion and a few wand-waves by the older man, Krum stepped up onto the low platform and dropped a folded piece of parchment into the cup.

"Is done." He announced, then he turned and left.

"Man of few words, hey Shack?" Tonks called and Shacklebolt nodded with a slight smile.

"Yep. Be interesting to see if he is picked."

"Given his performance at the World Cup, I'd be shocked if he wasn't." Tonks replied with a smile.

"I'm actually surprised that he waited until almost no-one was around." Hermione mused. "I mean, he's a really popular sports star, so why not do it when everyone else is here to get even more publicity?"

"He's probably rather tired of it." Harry reflected. "Merlin knows that _I_ dislike my fame."

"Especially considering it was probably something your mother did." Neville agreed and Harry's lips twitched slightly as he noted that Neville hadn't stated _which_ mother he was referring to.

"Well, since we don't have Ancient Runes, I think we might want to head to the consorvatory." Hermione stretched in an almost feline way. "I need to get some serious lounging done."

"One of the perils of being a feline Animagus." McGonogall agreed, causing everyone to jolt in shock as they hadn't heard her approach. "Shacklebolt, Tonks. It is good to see you again. Shacklebolt, I do trust that the incident with the piano and the jelly won't be repeated?"

Shacklebolt somehow managed to blush and pale at the same time. "No, ma'am!"

"The _what_?" Tonks asked curiously and Shacklebolt shook his head.

"Don't. Ask."

"At least it wasn't as bad as the Custard Incident." Minerva added and Tonks shuddered.

"… _everywhere_ …"


	12. Sharing Lessons

Harry looked round at the larger-than-normal crowd as he and the others came to a stop outside Hagrid's hut, where their teacher was waiting for them while finishing some work on a longbow. After finishing wrapping the leather strip to make the grip, Hagrid put it to one side and stood up, causing the eyes of several of the Durmstrang students to widen as he towered above them.

"Okay everyone." Hagrid called. "In case yer wonderin', the students from Beauxbatons an' Durmstrang are attendin' some of Hogwarts' lessons fer comparison purposes. Normally they'd be sharin' Care o' Magical Creatures with the older ones, but there were some schedulin' issues, so everyone, make them welcome."

A murmur of general greetings answered Hagrid's request and he smiled.

"Now, we've 'ad her here before, but the First Years hadn't met her, so I asked her back. Let's see 'ow much ye all remember 'bout 'er. SssSthss!"

Harry wasn't the only one to grin widely as the giant Basilisk slithered around from behind Hagrid's hut, but the reactions of the students from from the other two schools were far more energetic with most of the Durmstrang students simply sprinting off at a dead run while the Beauxbatons students conjured shields to hide behind or simply ducked behind one of the Hogwarts students. To Harry's amazement, though, Krum stepped forwards fearlessly.

"Have heard of you." He rumbled. "You are Basilisk working for Potter as security. Father is Potioneer, is making old potions with venom. Am honored to meet you. You helping father become rich."

" _I recognisse you from the Quidditch game I watched."_ SssSthss loomed above Krum, then lowered her head to his level. _"You flew very well."_

"Am Seeker. Flying well what Krum do." Krum chuckled as Hagrid came to a stop beside him.

"Well, this beauty is SssSthss an' as ye know, she's a Basilisk." Hagrid began as the scattered Durmstrang students slowly began to return. "Ye see this tiara she is wearin'? It lets her speak an' stops her gaze bein' deadly, so everyone can see what bootiful eyes she has."

"Is he related to Steve Irwin?"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply to the Beauxbaton's student's question, then paused. "I… don't know. And how do you know about him? He's not magical."

"Muggleborn." The girl shrugged as she stepped out from behind Neville. "I've only ever read about Basilisks. I never thought I'd actually _see_ one. _Et_ _elle est tres magnifique_! Erm… where did Fleur go?"

.

"Lord Potter?"

Krum's voice echoed across the field and Harry turned to look at the approaching teenager.

"You very brave, taking in Basilisk like her." Krum slapped Harry on his shoulder. "Basilisk very beautiful. _Scary_ , but beautiful. Krum have to ask, Basilisk shed skin much?"

"She sheds two or three times each year now she has enough to eat." Harry said slowly. "…why?"

"Basilisk Hide needed for lining cauldrons for certain potions." Krum fell into step with Harry as they headed towards the Great Hall for dinner. "Father getting richer from making potions using Basilisk venom now it on market again, but cannot make most wanted potions until has lined cauldron. Basilisk Hide still expensive. Krum decide to speak to one who has access to fresh Basilisk Hide, ask to buy for Father. From source, much cheaper than from traders. You get more pay than traders give, but Krum's father get for less than traders _charge_. All happy except money-gouging traders, yes?"

"How much do they charge?"

"For enough to be lining small cauldron, two thousand Galleons." Krum scowled.

"SssSthss was paid five thousand Galleons for her last shed skin." Harry frowned.

"She vos robbed." Krum stated. "One shed skin from Basilisk her size easy _fifty_ small cauldrons with enough left for dozen sets boots and cloaks, plus shavings for potions. Sell direct, get well over hundred thousand Galleons even selling below market."

"I… see." Harry rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It looks like I may need to set up a new company just to sell SssSthss' shed scales."

"How you say her name so easy?" Krum asked curiously.

"Practice?"

* * *

.

"We will today be discussing and learning the disarming spell." Remus Lupin said as stood in front of the class. "For the charm, the incantation is _Expelliarmus_ and the wand movement is a spiraling thrust, like… _so_!  
"Now, before we begin, a bit of information." Remus continued. "While the disarming charm is often considered to be just that, its utility is actually far greater. If used correctly, it can deflect many spells back against the caster or can physically push the person targeted away from the caster. The latter is why overpowered disarming spells are very popular with duelists. If you doubt me, ask Professor Flitwick for confirmation.  
"Countering the spell is fairly simple, although that isn't the same as easy. First, you can simply hold tight onto the wand so that it cannot leave your grasp, although this relies on you having a strong grip. Secondly, shields will stop all but the most overpowered disarming spells, but if it breaks through, the backlash alone will send you flying. The third way is the most obvious, yet strangely the least used. Dodge!"

There were several snickers and Remus glared at the two Slytherins who had laughed.

"Dodging is far more useful than shielding as it saves your magic for offense." He stated coldly. "Simply relying on shields will get you killed. If you can't dodge a disarming spell, what chance do you have if someone throws a _killing curse_ at you?"

The two girls went silent and Remus gave a sharp nod. "Everyone, wands out and stand up!"

As soon as everyone was standing up, the desks and chairs moved to the back of the room, flowing around the students.

"Now, partner up and try casting the spell or holding onto your wand." Remus commanded and Harry glanced round as several people moved, then he found himself facing a familiar person.

"Potter." Draco said with a nod verging on a bow.

"Malfoy." Harry replied, duplicating the greeting.

"Form two rows, spread wide and take it in turns." Remus ordered and Harry moved to one of the chalk lines that had appeared on the floor while Draco moved to the other.

"Begin on my right." Remus said, pitching his voice to carry to everyone.

"Ready?" Draco asked, one eyebrow lifting slightly and Harry hid a grin at the opening.

"Even if I wasn't, you've been more than accommodating." He quoted, causing Draco to look confused for a moment, then he brandished his wand.

" _Expelliarmus_!"

Harry's wand bucked in his fingers and Harry gave Draco a look of respect.

"Nice one. It almost worked."

"You have a very strong grip." Draco noted and Harry shrugged.

"Muggle upbringing. Without magic, muscle power is far more important."

"I hadn't really considered that." Draco mused. "I'm ready."

Harry's wand spiralled forwards. " _Expelliarmus_!"

Draco's wand flipped out of his hand and arced into the air, allowing Harry to snatch it up. As Draco shook his hand, Harry held out the wand to him. "You alright?"

"I think I need to work on my grip." Draco admitted as he accepted his wand back. "My turn now. _Expelliarmus_!"

Harry let his grip slacken just enough that the wand was jerked out of his hands, although not with enough speed to even make it halfway to where Draco was standing. The blond boy briefly looked triumphant before composing himself and waiting for Harry to retrieve his wand.

"Your turn, I believe."

"Thank you. _Expelliarmus_."

Harry purposefully weakened the spell, allowing Draco to managed to keep hold of his wand, although it did move in his grip before the Slytherin managed to stop it.

.

"…and _stop_!" Remus called. As the last spell faded, Remus waved his wand, causing the chairs and tables to slide back into place.

"It's almost time for dinner and I think you will be very hungry with how much magic you used." Remus stated as everyone found their seats. "Feel free to practice the spell in your spare time, but only with a willing partner. Next lesson, we will be working on using it to deflect spells such as the tickling charm or the knockback jinx. Well done, everybody."

As if it had been pre-arranged, the bell tolled to signal the end of the lesson and Remus watched with a satisfied smile as the students collected their bags and left the room, talking excitedly to each other as they did so.

.

"I think I have a new favourite Wand spell." Harry grinned. "Disarms the other person, but doesn't leave them needing medical treatment."

"Combine it with the spell Hermione came up with and you'll be unstoppable." Neville half-joked and Hermione beamed at the reference to the spell she had helped to create. "Out of interest, does your _other_ magic style have an equivalent?"

"…that would be _Em Da Do_." Harry replied after considering the question. "It doesn't have the same secondary effects as _Expelliarmus_ , though. It's faster, but far more limited."

"Sounds like most of the other-spells you've shown us." Neville mused. "More power, but less flexibility."

"I wonder what that says about my ancestors who used it." Harry mused.

"That's… a very interesting thought." Hermione sounded contemplative. "I mean, the sheer amount of flexibility that _wanded_ magic provides contrasts quite a bit with the more _power-based_ but less mobile Staff techniques that I've been reading about."

"Then there's those magic schools that emphasize rituals, such as Ugadau." Neville added. "They also prefer to use handsign-based magic rather than Wanded, which means that they don't have to worry about losing their magical foci, although their spells are less powerful."

"Must mean that they plan ahead more." Hermione deduced as they entered the Great Hall. "Rituals can take a long time to perform, but the effects last far longer than simple spells."

Harry looked round at the bustling Hall, then made his way to the Ravenclaw table where Ginny and Luna were waiting.

"You think the other schools will be joining us for Care after dinner?" Neville asked and Harry shrugged as he sat down opposite the girls.

"No idea. I guess that we'll find out when we find out."

Neville shook his head. "That… that really shouldn't make as much sense as it does."

Harry smirked at him, then turned his attention to the platters of food that had appeared in front of them.

"Huh." He looked at the dishes before him. "I see that for this meal, we're going for french-inspired dishes."

"We'll probably have things like goulash tomorrow." Hermione offered as she helped herself to some _boullabaise_. "Can you pass over the bread basket, please?"

Harry filched a couple of the rolls as he passed the woven basket across.

"Thank you. It looks like they just cooked every french recipe that they could find. Can I have the _escargots_ next?"

"The what?" Ginny asked.

"Snails." Hermione pointed to the dish in question. "I enjoyed them the last time that I was holidaying in France."

"… _snails_?" Ginny looked mildly disgusted, but passed the dish across.

"Special snails, bred to be edible." Hermione explained as she used the spoon to scoop three of them to her plate. "They're cooked in parsley butter."

"You can make butter from parsley?" Luna asked curiously. "How do you milk it?"

Hermione froze, then gave Luna a searching look.

"What?"

.

"Zis is almost as good as we have at Beauxbatons." Olympe Maxime said approvingly as she dipped her spoon into her soup.

"We managed to source the ingredients when we confirmed that you were coming." Minerva replied. "The House-elves were supplied with recipes… hopefully it's turned out well."

"I have no complaints." Theseus smiled from where he was sat. "I'm looking forwards to seeing how you do tomorrow with the recipes I sent you."

* * *

.

"Hello!" Hagrid beamed at his class. "Now ye've all had dinner, let's have a look at these magnificent specimens. These are Abraxan Pegasi, ye musta seen 'em pullin' the Beauxbaton carriage. Well, now tis time ter take a closer look."

With a well-practiced move, Hagrid shook the lunging lead, causing the stallion to trot forwards.

"As ye can see, the Abraxan has larger wings than most Pegasi, though it don't 'preciate bein' ridden." Hagrid began and Harry watched the horse pose proudly as Hagrid continued to wax lyrical about it.

.

In the Great Hall, a small metal disc teleported itself from the small hole in the stand that it had been occupying to just above the rim of the Goblet with a _pop_ that was concealed by the hissing of the flames. Before gravity could claim it, the disc reverted into a folded piece of parchment that fell into the Goblet.

Not even the sensors that fed the observation tables noted the small burst of magic that had been drowned out by the more primative and chaotic magical signature of the Goblet of Fire.

Only one person was aware of the fell deed that had occurred.

And she had no plans to tell anyone about it.


	13. The Champions Chosen

Rather than the six banners of the Houses of Hogwarts and the two visiting schools hanging above the Teachers Table, only three Banners were in evidence, the middle one holding the Hogwarts Crest while the flanking ones (of matching size) had the crests of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, all three banners made from the finest Acromantula silk with gold and silver threads woven into their designs.

The Teachers Table itself was flanked by two more set at right-angles, one holding the Aurors and several reporters while the second had the Minister of Magic, several of his aides and official witnesses from France, Bulgaria and several other countries. Around the Great Hall, several cameras floated on rune-engraved platforms, cameras controlled by a bespectacled wizard sat in the corner, behind a mass of floating screens and touch-screen controls that boasted the Kitsune Broadcasting emblem on their casings.

As the sound of people eating pudding finally died away, Minerva stood up, then shot the wizard in the corner a significant look.

"Ready to transmit in thirty seconds." The wizard said. "The studio is just winding up its interview now. We're live in… twenty seconds…"

To Harry's amusement, several of the teachers quickly twitched their robes into a better position so that they didn't show any creases while Slughorn simply took a sip of wine, then let a broad smile settle on his face.

"Five… four… three…" The wizard went silent, then dropped his hand.

"Ladies and gentlewizards, honored guests and students all, welcome to the drawing of the Champions names for the Tri-Wizard Tournament." Minerva said and Harry felt his respect for her rise as she spoke without hesitation, despite knowing that over half the magic-users in the United Kingdom (plus a large number overseas) were watching her. "In a moment, the Goblet of Fire will make its choice as to who will represent our three schools. Auror Shacklebolt, if you would be so kind?"

The dark-skinned man rose and made his way to the goblet, the threads in his formal Auror robes glittering as he approached it. The goblet's flames slowly sank, then they faded out completely for a moment before erupting in a column of blue fire that sent a piece of parchment fluttering out. Kingsley caught it, unfolded it and read out what it said.

"Representing the school of Durmstrang, Viktor Krum!"

"Tonks called it." Neville whispered as Krum rose from his seat and strode up to stand before the Teachers Table as the Durmstrang table and a large number of other students cheered.

"She did indeed." Harry confirmed as the Goblet erupted a second time.

"Representing the school of Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory!"

The cheering was just as loud as the Hufflepuff in question rose from his bench and made his way to the front of the Great Hall, exchanging high-fives and quick handshakes with most of the students close enough to reach on his way.

"And representing the school of Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour!"

The blond teenager rose to her feet with incredible grace and seemed to float to the front. Once she joined them, Minerva rose to speak again.

"You see before you the three champions who are…"

Minerva trailed off as the Goblet re-ignited a _fourth_ time and Shacklebolt caught the piece of parchment, opening it and frowning at what was written. Turning, he moved to where the three School Heads were and placed the paper in front of them, casting a silencing spell around the four of them so that no-one could overhear.

"What happened?" Ginny asked and Harry shivered.

"I don't know, but I've got a nasty feeling that someone has managed to somehow enter me into the tournament."

"Harry, you're paranoid." Hermione sighed and Harry chuckled mirthlessly.

"Hermione, _something_ has happened every year I've been here. Every. Year."

Hermione froze as she searched for a rebuttal, but Harry's attention was on Barty Crouch made his way to the table, along with Ludo Bagman. The six adults argued silently, one of them occasionally glancing over to where Harry was sitting.

"Oh… poot." Luna sighed. "It looks like you've been entered, Harry."

"It might not be Harry." Hermione protested, then she sagged in resignation as Flitwick joined the group. "Who am I kidding. It's Harry."

* * *

.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry paused on his way towards the exit and looked down at his Head of House.

"And this proves it." He sighed. "Someone's managed to trick the Goblet into declaring me the _fourth_ Champion, haven't they?"

"Well reasoned." Flitwick confirmed. "Please come with me."

Harry followed the Professor out of the Great Hall and to a side room that was silent right up to the point that Flitwick opened the door.

"…and _we_ should have a second champion too!" Maxime yelled.

"Wait until we've had a chance to investigate, dammit!" Shacklebolt yelled back at her and Flitwick sighed before unleashing a cannonblast charm that briefly shocked the room into silence.

"If it helps, I'm willing to take _veritaserum_ to confirm that I didn't enter my name, ask for it to be entered or even have any desire to enter." Harry offered into the sudden silence. "I'm sure that Professors Snape, Tonks or Slughorn would be able to brew some if the DMLE can't provide it."

His offer seemed to take the wind out of Madam Maxine's metaphorical sails.

"Where did the paper originate from?" Harry asked and Shacklebolt motioned to the table he was stood beside, upon which the parchment in question was prominently displayed. Walking across, Harry frowned a it.

"That parchment is the sort I use for official documents relating to the Wizengamot." He noted. "Look, you can see the imprint of the Potter Crest in the corner, meaning that this was cut from a document."

"I'll have someone check to see which one was used." Moody growled from the corner.

"Better check against the Potter records as well to see if one's gone missing." Harry countered. "The person who did this _probably_ burned the rest of the page since a missing document is less suspicious than one that has had parts cut out.

"Good point." Moody scowled. "More work."

"What school am I registered as?" Harry asked and the already-quiet room went silent.

"It… doesn't say." Minerva finally admitted.

"I'll check the dais and stand again, see if anything's different from the last time I saw them." Moody stomped towards the door. "I'll also pull in a few favors the Unspeakables owe me. If there's any way to find out who did it, we'll find out."

"Get some _veritaserum_ too!" Harry called out, then he looked round. "What? It worked before."

"That's not the problem." Crouch sighed. "The problem is that now you've been selected, you either compete or you lose your magic. And if you lose your magic, chances are that you'll die and I _really_ don't want to be known as the man who let the _Boy-who-lived_ get killed that way."

"…good thing I've already made a will." Harry grumbled. "Okay, so I'm magically bound to compete, but that _doesn't_ make me a Champion. Competitor, yes. Champion, no."

"Works for me." Crouch nodded approvingly.

"Wait, what?" Bagman protested. "Barty, he's been selected so he _is_ a Champion! That's how it works!"

"I'll need to have a copy of the rules as well." Harry prompted.

"Oh, of course!" Bagman nodded eargerly. "Can't do for our fourth champion to not know what's going on!"

Harry glared at Ludo, who gulped and slid behind Crouch.

"I'm sure you have a great deal of investigating to do, so it'll be best for me to get out of your way." Harry continued. "Please call me when you are ready for me to clear myself under _veritaserum_."

With a slight bow, Harry walked to the door and stepped out of the chamber, his Head of House close on his heels.

"I think that none of them believe any more that you intended to participate." Flitwick noted and Harry sighed.

"Yeah, but… _dammit_! That mess with those _Boy-who-lived_ books was bad enough, but _this_?"

.

"I'm convinced." Theseus noted as they watched the door close behind Harry and Filius. "That boy did not enter himself. Someone got past the protections."

"Not possible." Moody shook his head, having re-entered when no-one was watching. "Those protections surrounded the Goblet from floor to ceiling."

"Could someone have cut through the ceiling?" Minerva asked and Moody shook his head again.

"Wouldn't have worked. The protections closed the top as well as the bottom. No gaps. I made sure of that."

The door opened again to admit Auror Tonks, who shook her head.

"We've checked the security recordings that Jor-El provided. No-one got to the Goblet without being checked by an Auror first."

"I'll check the pillar, dais and the stand again, make sure none of the Wards have been altered." Moody grumbled as he headed towards the door. "I don't get it. It shouldn't have been possible for someone to have put that boy's name in the Goblet, yet someone did and I have no bloody clue how… I _hate_ it when I don't understand how something's possible…"

"We need to keep this quiet as possible." Minerva sighed. "If this leaks…"

The Headmistress of Hogwarts wasn't the only one to shiver at the thought.

"I need to get back to my students." Theseus stated. "Good luck."

"I also need to get to my students." Olympe agreed. "I shall see you tomorrow."

The duo exited the room, Olympe ducking slightly to get through the door, then they made their way to the main entrance in contemplative silence. Once the large doors had swung shut behind them, Olympe spoke.

"Do you _really_ believe that the leetle boy did not enter?"

"I was watching him as he spoke." Theseus shook his head. "Olympe, you know that I studied _Legilimency_ , right? I didn't try to enter his mind, but the emotions he was feeling? He _really_ didn't want to enter the competition. No, someone's planning something. Stay alert, Olympe, and keep a close eye over your students because I will be watching over mine _very_ carefully."

As they parted ways to head back to their respective transportation/accommodation, neither noticed a small beetle emerge from under Olympe's collar and fly off into the night sky.

* * *

.

_**Shenanigans At Tri-Wizard Tournament  
** _ _By Rita Skeeter_

_Ladies and Gentlewizards, yesterday was the opening of the long-awaited  
_ _Tri-Wizard Tournament which pitches the Champions of the three Great  
_ _Schools (Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang) against each other in  
_ _a series of events to determine which school will carry the title of "Best In  
_ _Europe" until the next Tournament._

_The Tri-Wizard Tournament was ended in 1792 due to an incident involving  
_ _an enlarged Cockatrice which resulted in the deaths of all three Champions.  
_ _Although there was no winner, Hogwarts was given the victory because of  
_ _the bravery shown by its Champion and several of his friends, who placed  
_ _themselves in harms way to buy enough time for the audience to escape.  
_ _The revived Tri-Wizard is intended to be just as challenging but without as  
_ _much risk, to the Champions, Judges or audience._

_Yet it has already gone wrong!_

_In a shocking twist, Lord Harry Potter (also known as_ The Boy Who Lived _)  
_ _was entered into the competition, not as the Champion of Hogwarts, but  
_ _as an independent competitor. In an amazing show of courage, Lord Potter  
_ _promptly volunteered to undergo_ veritaserum _questioning to prove that he  
_ _had not wished to enter the competition._

 _As of the time of printing, the_ Daily Prophet _has been unable to contact the  
_ _other three Champions (Quidditch superstar Victor Krum for Durmstrang,  
_ _Fleur Delaceour for Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts) to get  
_ _their reactions to this shocking event, but as soon as we can interview them,  
_ _we will reveal their thoughts on this momentous mistake…_

Minerva hissed at the paper she was holding, then slammed it down onto the table.

"How did they find out?" She growled. "Who told them?"

"It's Rita Skeeter." Snape sighed. "I have no clue how she does it, but she's based her whole career on ferreting out everyone else's secrets while hiding her own. She did the same back when she was in Slytherin, but not nearly as successfully as she does now."

"However she does it, we need to stop her." Minerva stated firmly. "If she keeps uncovering everything we're trying to do, we'll never be able to track down the person who managed to force Lord Potter into the Tournament. They'll be able to see what we're doing and make sure there's no evidence for us to find."

.

Dolores Umbridge nodded approvingly at the paper. While it wasn't trying to bring that Potter Brat down like she had hoped, everyone now _knew_ that he would be competing in the events.

And with the aid of her mysterious backer, she could arrange for an _accident_ to befall him, leaving his fortune and business empire for the Ministry to claim and redistribute, during which it would be easy to _lose_ several million Galleons which would somehow find their way into her vault.

The future was looking bright.


	14. Researching The Rules

" _This_ is _it_?" Hermione asked, staring at the thin ribbon-bound roll of parchment that Harry had just handed to her. "Please tell me it's expanded on the inside or something."

Harry shook his head. "Nope. I've looked through it and it's just three foot of parchment."

Hermione stared at him in shock and Harry nodded, motioning for her to look for herself. "They used the stamp integrated into the base of the Goblet in lieu of signing it, but effectively it says that the Goblet will select one champion per school from all those offered and said Champions will perform three tasks as previously arranged by the Judges who are the three Heads of Schools and a representative of the Ministry of the country that is hosting the tournament. Points will be awarded for the first two tasks in order to determine the order and timing of starting for the third task. Oh, and if anyone tries to prevent the Champions from attending a Task or tries to injure them so that they cannot compete, that person _will_ lose their magic."

"…that's _it_?" Hermione stared in horror at Harry, who shrugged.

"Pretty much. The language is more flowery, but… yeah. Oh, and the Judges are meant to be impartial, though that part is _expected_ rather than _required_."

"This does not give us much to work with." Hermione noted, still staring at the rolled-up parchment in her hands, then she looked up. "Harry… _why_ are you grinning?"

"Because it means that by those rules, I can do _anything_ that I am not forbidden from doing." Harry smirked. "You will note, for instance, that at the first Task, I am only allowed to start with a Wand as a magical focus. Yes?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes? So?"

"For a start, does the word _Accio_ ring any bells?"

Hermione's jaw dropped as she started to see a hint of what her friend was planning.

* * *

.

"We really should have put in a paragraph to allow us to either dismiss a Champion or declare a no-contest and do a re-draw." Crouch sighed as he looked at the unrolled scroll in front of him. "Why didn't we do that?"

"Probably all the protection we were planning on putting in place." Moody dropped the ring-shaped stand in front of Barty. "Do you see anything odd with this?"

"…not really." Barty picked up the stand and turned it over. "Why?"

"Portkey trace in the center." Moody growled. "Missed it myself, but the scanning device that Evans Enterprises sent over managed to isolate it."

"What? I don't follow..."

.

" _I'll need your memory of putting the stand under the Goblet, but if I'm right, someone slipped something into the middle of the Stand, letting it Portkey itself into the Goblet without passing through the Wards that would have stopped it."_ Moody's voice echoed from the small object on Umbridge's desk and the pink-clad woman paled.

There was _no way_ that the method she had used could have been discovered, but the retired Auror had once again done the impossible and as soon as he reviewed the memory, he was going to be coming after her! She had to escape and do so quickly!

Rising from her desk, she moved to the filing cabinets that ranged along the entire back wall and opened a specific drawer, using her wand to tap a rune on the inside. Closing the drawer, she stepped back as the cabinets slid up, revealing a second, windowless office. Dolores stepped through and as the cabinets slid down to hide the hole once more, she pulled out a small trunk and after expanding it, began moving all of the items in the secret room into the trunk, making sure to slip a small wooden box the size of her palm into her pocket.

Once the office was empty of all but the basic furniture, Dolores shrunk the trunk and placed it in her handbag, along with her wand. Pausing only long enough to grab the grey raincoat and matching hat from the hatstand by the door and don them, she stepped out of the office, locking it behind her with a key that she then slipped into her pocket before walking off, moving quickly but calmly down the corridors and up several flights of stairs with the occasional nod to people passing the other way before finally emerging from the front door of the building.

As she vanished into the hustle and bustle of Muggle London, the sign on the building behind her read _Department of International Trade_.

.

Crouch rose from the Pensieve with a look of horrified shock on his face.

"Dolores?"

"Dolores." Moody confirmed. "Damn. Woman's got enough dirt on people to make a full-scale model of Ben Nevis. This is beyond even _my_ paygrade. Going to have to take this straight to Bones."

"I… think I had better go with you." Crouch managed after a moment. "I… may be able to help?"

"She's got dirt on you too, huh?" Moody grunted. "Fine. Come on. Hopefully we can limit the damage she plans to cause."

Crouch managed a jerky nod as Moody bottled the memory and then shrunk the Pensieve, placing both into a belt-pouch.

"Let's go, the sooner we do this, the better. And the less chance there'll be for that Skeeter bitch to find out before we make an arrest."

* * *

.

"Dammit!" Moody stomped into the abandoned office, glaring at the desk that had a notable absence of the woman that he and Director Bones had come to arrest.

"Indeed." Amelia Bones agreed as she followed two more Aurors through the door. "She's gone, but…"

"… _what am I going to do?"_ A thin, reedy but recognizable voice sounded, followed by a clink of glass on glass. Everyone looked round in confusion, then Moody pointed at a plate on the desk.

"Monitoring charm." He said, then looked at the shelving on the wall to his left, shelves filled with multiple plates that had kittens playing or sleeping. "Lots of them. When the kitten plays, it probably means that someone's in whatever place they're set to monitor."

Amelia looked at the wall in growing horror.

"Back wall's got some magic on it, too." Moody noted. "We may need a cursebreaker or two to help me. See if that Weasley kid's available for hire, we've worked together before."

Amelia glanced at one of the Aurors, who nodded and vanished through the door.

"None of the drawers are booby-trapped." Moody added. "Odd, that."

"It's against regulations to place traps on filing cabinets." Amelia said as she moved to look at the desk. "After all, if you do, you'll be held responsible for any injuries that happen because someone needed a document while you were on holiday or on a break."

"Yeah, but there's an odd magical thing in _this_ drawer." Moody slid open the drawer in question and paused. "Huh. An Activation Rune. Ah-hah! Someone's lifted the schematics for the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron. Explains the magic."

Amelia opened her mouth to ask what the Auror Emeritus was talking about when he slammed the file cabinet shut and stepped back, watching the central cabinets rise to reveal a doorway into another office.

"Guess we know where she went." Moody said in dark satisfaction. "Let's see where that office connects to."

"We'll need to find out where all those plates connect to as well." Amelia pointed out as she stepped into the second office to join Moody, who was looking round thoughtfully.

"Muggle-Notice-me-not on the door, otherwise nothing else magical, but look at the carpet.

Amelia followed his direction and blinked.

"There were cabinets there."

"Must have been where she was hiding all of her blackmail material." Moody snorted. "Merlin knows what deep-laid plans that toad is using, but whatever it is, I'd bet my false leg that she's had it ready to use for _years_."

.

Umbridge sat on the plastic seat, slowly eating her pizza as she considered her situation. Most of those she could have controlled in the past were dead, leaving her with very few that she could manipulate into helping her.

A name popped into her mind and she nodded to herself. He was perfect. She could use his house as her headquarters while she marshaled her resources and set him on the path to be Minister of Magic, a position he could use to pardon her and allow her to once again be the hidden power behind the throne.

Popping the last bit of pizza into her mouth, Umbridge smiled. Things were looking bad at the moment, but soon, she would regain her power and her enemies would tremble in fear.

Rising from her seat, she picked up her tray and carefully emptied the waste into the bin before leaving the tray on the shelf just above. With that done, she strode out onto the street and made her way towards a quiet park that she knew of.

After all, she didn't want to risk having Muggles see her Apparate away. That would risk breaking the Statute of Secrecy.

* * *

.

"Oh, crap. What's she done _now_."

Draco looked round at Theodore Nott's sigh, then he looked up at the rather bedraggled owl heading towards him with a letter attached to its leg.

"Theo?"

"You know dad was a… _traditionalist_ , yes?" Theo asked rhetorically and Draco nodded. "Well, he was so traditional that he left a will putting _me_ in charge of the finances, not my step-mother. Not that it's a bad thing, he didn't marry her for her brains or financial restraint, but the stupid bint has a tendency to drink through the money in her personal vault and… huh?"

As he spoke, Theo had been opening the letter and his sudden stop caught Draco's attention.

"…Draco, one of my contacts has just shown up at my house." Theo mused. "She's just lost her position in the Ministry…"

"Do you know where the item that _he_ gave your father is?" Draco hissed urgently and Theo nodded.

"It's in his study… well, _my_ study now… why?"

"Because if that person is on the run then this is an opportunity." Draco hissed. "Send her a message telling her you'll be there on Saturday. It's a Hogsmead weekend, so you can get home via the Tegg's Nose Caverns…"

* * *

.

Umbridge peered round the doorframe as someone came through the Floo and when she saw who it was, she stepped forwards with a wide smile.

"Mr Nott! Thank you for letting me stay."

"Of course, Madam Umbridge." Theodore smiled back, hiding his distaste for the toad-like woman. "I trust that my step-mother hasn't been a problem these last few days?"

"Not at all." Umbridge sighed as she followed Theo out of the room. "She hasn't even noticed I'm here."

"Not surprising." Theo admitted. "Come, I guess you want to know what's been happening over the last few days."

"I only know what I heard on the radio." Umbridge admitted as they entered the study. "It doesn't sound good, though."

"It isn't." Theo replied as he pulled a bottle of wine out from the lowest drawer of the desk. Putting it on the desk, he turned to a nearby cupboard and pulled out a couple of goblets, placing the more ornate one in front of Umbridge, who looked at it with a smile of approval. "You may need some alcohol to help with this, the news isn't good."

With a steady hand, Theo poured some wine into each goblet, then he seated himself behind the desk as Umbridge picked up her drink.

"They've worked out just how you entered that bastard into the Tournament." He began. "Using a short-range timed Portkey made from transfigured Parchment was _ingenious_ , by the way."

"Thank you." Umbridge smiled as she raised the goblet to her lips.

"They're making a point of referring to Potter as a _Participant_ rather than a Champion…" Theo began, then he stopped as Umbridge spasmed in the chair, the goblet going flying as she tried to push herself to her feet, only to collapse onto the floor, twitching and gasping for air. Theo simply watched her flop like a landed fish until she suddenly stilled, then pushed herself into a sitting position.

"What a thoroughly _sneaky_ woman." Umbridge said in a tone of dark amusement. "If not for her loyalty to the Ministry, she would have been a worthy addition to my ranks."

"Welcome back, My Lord." Theo got out of his chair, then dropped to one knee. "I am glad that the technique worked."

"You did very well, Theodore." Voldemort replied as he stood up in his new body. "Please, stand."

As Theodore rose to his feet, he watched as Voldemort unsheathed the ornamental dagger at his waist and held it across his palms, a look of wonderment on his face.

"Amazing. Theo… is there anyone nearby who will not be missed? I think that I could use the help of my friend Gellert."

Theo grinned predatorially and Voldemort's expression matched his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Goblet and Dagger were Chekov's Guns that I'd loaded in A Distant Storm.
> 
> Bang!  
> Bang!


	15. Moving Pieces

"To Dolores Umbridge!" Bartemius Crouch Sr raised his goblet of Firewhiskey in a toast and in the armchair facing him, Ludo Bagman gave him a look somewhere between confused and worried.

"…what do you mean?" Ludo finally asked as Bartholomew took a sip of Firewhiskey and exhaled several flames.

"Simple." Crouch leaned back in the embrace of his own armchair. "Dolores has gone on the run. She has been outed as a criminal and I have pulled a few favors to get certain people involved in finding her, people who will be only too happy that the pink bitch is _unfortunately killed while resisting arrest_ , a situation which will also lead to the _accidental_ destruction of whatever material she has amassed. Material which has allowed her to try and control both of us."

"She purchased the debts I owed the damned Goblins." Ludo allowed. "I didn't know that it was possible to do that…"

"Quite." Bartemius took another sip, savoring the heat of the drink. "But you've missed my point. Everything that has gone wrong up to this point can now be blamed on _her_. Every bad choice, every slip in security, every error… she's already declared herself guilty by running, so the public will be only too happy to believe that she is to blame for _everything_ that did not go right."

Although Ludo still looked confused, Bartholomew could see the glimmerings of understanding.

"Once she is dead, the Ministry will seize all of her assets. With the confusion of the seizure and her _resisting arrest_ , who will notice if a debt mysteriously vanishes? A debt that very few people had reason to know about in the first place?"

Ludo's eyes widened as he understood. "…What do you need me to do?"

Crouch smiled at Ludo's eagerness. "For starters, Ludo, now that you need not worry about repaying all that gold… _stop gambling_! If you _must_ gamble, make certain that you don't have a _bad luck curse_ on you first. I know several healers and Cursebreakers if you need them…"

As Ludo unwillingly nodded, Crouch mentally ran through the list of those he could trust to _modify_ the exam to make Bagman believe that his whole family was under a curse that would last another two generations, a curse that made them unlucky at gambling.

It wouldn't be too unbelievable. After all, Bagman's current financial assets were mainly due to his career as a Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps, a career he had taken up after his father had lost the Bagman fortune in a series of abysmally placed bets and catastrophic investments.

Of course, he would need to find a new hobby for Ludo to distract himself with. Maybe he could persuade him to offer to teach the Beaters of the four Hogwarts Quidditch teams?

That would keep him occupied for long enough that he could find something else for him to do…

Bagman was too useful to simply discard, after all.

* * *

.

Draco stumbled as he fell out of the Floo, but managed to catch himself before he could fall over. Straightening up, he found himself face-to-face with two very familiar faces.

"My Lord!" Draco immediately dropped to one knee, lowering his head to hide the near-panic he felt. "Welcome back!"

"Rise, Draco." Voldemort said and Draco, having managed to regain control of his expression, rose to his feet, using the opportunity to glance round covertly. Although Voldemort and a younger-but-still-recognizable Gellert Grindlewald were both looking at him with approval, two more men were standing near the door, men he recognized as Barty "Logan" Crouch Jr and Peter "Inquisitor" Pettigrew. "I am aware of the actions you took after my friend and I fell in combat… and I approve."

Draco managed not to sag in relief. "Thank you, my Lord."

"You managed to ensure that those loyal to me would not be charged, thus leaving them in place to return to my service once more. And you yourself, though… Theodore told me about your idea of getting Potter into a Quidditch game. May I ask why?"

"My lord, I had several reasons. The least of them is that I enjoy Quidditch, it helps me stay fit and hones my reflexes. Having it cancelled did not sit well with me. However, I know that Potter enjoys Quidditch too and setting things up that he could play means that he is less likely to consider me as an enemy, allowing me to find out more about him and use it to maneuver myself into a position from which I can finally oversee his fall."

"Logical." Gellert mused. "And of course, accidents _do_ happen on occasion."

"Given how Potter is the only Keeper to ever pull off a Bludger Bash without breaking his arm, I doubt that a _normal_ accident could do much more than irritate him." Draco admitted. "He's far stronger than he should be, my Lord. He is strong enough that he can hold back a rampaging Hippogryph simply by shoving his arm into its beak."

"I was aware of his strength." Voldemort nodded. "He ripped the Mage-shackles off his wrists like they were made of paper. Being just as tough is to be expected."

"I have noticed that when he duels, he dodges, blocks or shields against every spell sent his way." Draco offered. "I managed to spy on him when he was practicing against Flitwick and he got taken down by a _light_ stunner."

"…How interesting." Voldemort mused. "You have several hours before you need to be back at Hogwarts, yes? Come, we have a repast awaiting us, you can tell me more as we eat."

.

"That was… terrifying." Draco said quietly as he and Theodore crossed from the Tegg's Nose Public Floos to the Switching Room that led to Hogsmeade and thus back to Hogwarts. "I expected him to be furious given how little he has available to him."

"That is because you do not know what else he has." Theo noted with a smirk. "Evidence of wrongdoing by over half the Wizengamot, ranging from simple bribery to several cases of rape and murder that were covered up. And that includes several murders that Crouch Senior committed during the events leading up to our Lord's first death, at least one of who _wasn't_ wearing the Mark."

"Yet without an army to bring force to bear on the situation, information is of limited utility." Draco countered as the Switching Room's side-slats peeled away to reveal the Hogsmead main street.

"But it can be _used_ to raise one." Theo shrugged as he strode towards the distant castle. "With all the hidden wealth that Umbridge was amassing, the hideaways she knew of and those whom she knew how to control, our Lord will soon be able to move ahead with his plans."

Draco nodded in apparent agreement, but his mind raced as he considered just what had gone wrong in the past and what was likely to go wrong in the future.

He also wondered why the Dark Lord had given him and Nott Hogwarts Cloak Pins with instructions to wear them any time they were not in the Slytherin dorms.

.

"It seems that our task will be even harder this time around." Gellert noted as he held up a glass of wine, watching how it seemed to glow in the afternoon light. "We have so much less in the way of resources."

"But our enemies are completely unaware of our return, my ally." Voldemort calmly replied. "How can one defend against a threat that one does not even know exist?"

"They are searching for Umbridge." Gellert pointed out.

"Who no longer exists." Voldemort countered calmly. "Their vision is fixated on the wrong threat and with careful consideration, we shall be able to place ourselves to seize control. First, Britain, then Europe, then we shall move on the Americas and Australia, placing our forces in position to mop up Africa and Asia.

"All we need do is move carefully, my ally. As long as we do not attract the wrong sort of attention, we will prosper."

Gellert nodded in agreement. "Indeed, my young friend. Indeed."

For a moment, both remained silent, then Gellert tilted his head slightly. "My friend, I still have one stash available and it is the one with the Staff-making equipment. Shall we begin your education in the ways of Staff-making and usage?"

Voldemort glanced at the two mirrors mounted on the wall, each one showing a view of the interior of Hogwarts as relayed from the pins that Malfoy and Nott were wearing, then shrugged.

"I do not believe anything of importance will happen today, so yes. Let us begin.

* * *

.

"I admit that I did not know that use of Staffs was taught at Hogwarts."

Harry and Neville paused as the familiar voice sounded, then backed away from each other in a silent agreement to halt the spar. Turning, they saw Headmaster Scamander watching them, Viktor Krum by his side and several other Durmstrang students, all of whom had their own staffs.

"Durmstrang teaches Staff use?" Aberforth raised an inquisitive eyebrow and Theseus nodded.

"We do. Staffs are very useful as walking aids when traversing snowfields, for fending off bears and other predators without using magic, for protection against robbers… using a Staff is seen as one of the, admittedly optional, more popular courses at Durmstrang."

Aberforth stepped aside and motioned for Theseus to take over. "Let's see how good you are."

"Thank you."

.

"You two are strongest fighters, almost good as Durmstrang students." Krum rumbled with amused respect as the lesson broke up. "Both of you very strong. Potter was expected as only one who does Bludger Bash. You, Krum not quite sure, but Krum think that it because you are _Animagus_. Krum interested in becoming Animagus."

"Potter wonder why Krum speak of Krum in third person." Harry snarked and Krum's laugh echoed across the wide lawn.

"For publicity and tactics. Speaking like that makes people underestimate Krum in everything but Quidditch, and sometimes even that. Large number of would-be scammers find themselves arrested because they try to pull stupid scams on Krum, thinking Krum will fall for them." Viktor paused and lowered his voice. "Also become something of habit."

"You may wish to speak to one of our teachers about becoming an Animagi, I'd recommend Remus Lupin, but doesn't it interfere with Quidditch? Aren't there rules about it?"

"No. No rules except to say cannot attack another player using Animagus form." Krum shook his head. "Krum hoping to be hawk or eagle, so if Krum have another crash, Krum can just fly to safety instead of hit ground hard."

"Useful." Harry noted. "My form doesn't let me do that."

"Mine gives me longer reach and great climbing skills." Neville joked as he shrank his staff and sheathed it in his wrist holster, much to Krum's astonishment.

"How you do that?" Krum pointed at Neville's wrist. "Really, how?"

"Upgrades." Neville chuckled as Harry shrank his staff and slotted it into the clips on his wrist-holster.

"Krum think he need to get these upgrades." The Bulgarian admitted, then he jolted in shock as a tiger loped past, followed closely by a bear while a large bird swooped overhead. "Krum think he _really_ need learn be _Animagus_."

"Maybe you should visit the _Animagus_ room after lunch?" Harry suggested.

"Krum would like that, but first, Krum must return staff to ship. Krum really wants to have shrinking staff."

"Your fangirls might object." Neville smirked and both of the other boys stared at him in shock before Krum burst out laughing again.

"Krum _like_ you! That very funny!"

* * *

.

"Welcome to the Barn." Harry grinned as he waved Krum and Fleur Delaceour (who had overheard and decided to tag along) in through the door. Krum lumbered through and then came to a sudden halt as he stared at the scene before him.

"… _this_ is _barn_?" He asked as Fleur also halted in her tracks.

"Yep." Harry moved past them into the building. "It's actually a large greenhouse, expanded on the inside and built with Spellglass, meaning that it _isn't_ a weak point. The doors at the far end open to allow egress and the other Greenhouses are just downhill from here. We have trees for the birds, various areas of grass and undergrowth for the other animals, a pond for potential aquatic Animagi… Hello, Professor Dumbledore."

The two-foot-tall tortoise that was eating from a platter of candied fruits paused and looked at Harry, giving him an unmistakable nod of welcome before returning to the food while on the top of his shell, Fawkes sat with an air of smugness, his feathers glittering in the sunbeam.

" _C'est magnifique_!" Fleur breathed as she looked up at the glass ceiling thirty feet above her head, then at the side walls which were semi-concealed by the various trees and shrubbery.

Harry set off down the winding path that led towards the far end and soon came across Hermione, lounging in a sunbeam with a book on a stand in front of her for her to read. As Krum gaped, Hermione reached out and used a single claw to turn the page.

"…Krum thinking he _really_ need to learn."

"What about you, Fleur?" Harry asked.

" _Non_ , I am Veela, we cannot be _Animagi_." Fleur sighed. "But this place, so light and warm… _C'est vraiment bien…"_


	16. The Weighing Of The Wands

"…and after the meal, could the three Champions and Lord Potter please stay behind." McGonogall finished her speech.

"Tri-Wizard stuff." Harry grumbled.

"I saw Draco talking to Headmistress Maxine and Headmaster Scamander yesterday." Luna noted. "I'm not sure what it was about, but…"

Luna stopped talking as Viktor Krum walked over to where Malfoy was sitting and once the Slytherins had finished clearing a space, sat down next to him, talking quietly but intensely with Draco occassionally nodding or shaking his head.

"…and things have just gone even stranger than our last trip to find the Crumple-Horned Snorcack." Luna mused, causing Ginny to stare at her.

"What? This is stranger than the encounter with the giant pygmy Clabbert?"

"Yep."

"The… giant… pygmy…" Hermione blinked several times, then shook her head. "No. Just no. I'm _not_ going to ask, I don't want to know."

Luna and Ginny exchanged quick smirks that Hermione missed, but Harry caught. Although he managed not to react, he was amused at how the duo had pulled their small prank off.

"I wonder what they are talking about?" Neville mused as he half-turned to look at where Krum was grinning broadly and clapping Draco on his shoulder. "Whatever it was, Krum approves."

Harry watched as Krum moved across the the Beauxbatons table where he spoke for a bit with Fleur, then the two of them moved across to the Hufflepuff table where Cedric Diggory was sitting.

"This is either Quidditch stuff or Twi-Wizard stuff." Harry mused thoughtfully as Draco nodded to Krum, then started to make his way to the Ravenclaw table. "I think that I'd better finish my food quickly."

Luna and Ginny watched in near-shock as the food seemed to vanish from Harry's plate, then Harry got off the bench just as Draco stepped up.

"Quidditch?"

"Quidditch." Draco confirmed. "And afterwards, whatever that Tri-Wizard thing McGonogall needs you for."

"Efficient." Harry noted and Draco smirked.

" _Cunning_."

Draco and Harry walked to the corner where Viktor, Fleur and Diggory were waiting for them.

"So!" Viktor pointed at Harry. "Tournament is only three things. We be having plenty spare time, yes? Now, you being keeper for Hogwarts and Cedric be Chaser, like Fleur."

" _Oui_ , I play Quidditch." Fleur confirmed. "Flying feels nice for Veela, it comes from our part-avian nature."

"So, Krum beink Seeker. You be havink good Seekers in your teams? Krum need competition to stay best of best!"

"We are going to have a Seeker Duel to decide ours." Draco inserted his comment smoothly. "While I respect Cho Chang's skill greatly, I believe that my friend Blaise has quite a chance. Jeanne Kenyon… is not a _bad_ Seeker, but…"

"Yeah, she's fairly good, but lacks that certain something." Cedric agreed ruefully.

"There are _four_ Houses, _oui_?" Fleur asked curiously. "Who is the fourth Seeker?"

"Gryffindor don't currently have one." Cedric shrugged. "They did have Percy Weasley, he was _good_ , but he graduated and…"

"Ah _oui_ , I 'ave seen him." Fleur nodded. "He works for _Monsieur_ Crouch."

" _All_ the Weasleys are good at Quidditch." Cedric confirmed. "The Twins are incredible Beaters, they just seem to always know where the other is and what they are planning. Charlie was an incredible Seeker, even better than Percy while Bill was a Chaser and former Captain, he could keep track of _everything_ and plan at least twelve plays ahead. Heck, Ron keeps managing to out-play _me_ at times, he's almost as good at planning ahead as Bill was."

"And Ginny's very good at last-second evasions." Harry grinned. "She loves to get a Bludger following her, then loop round one of the other team so that _they_ become its target."

"My ribs still ache whenever I think about that trick of hers." Cedric dead-panned.

"So, Durmstrang is easy havink team." Krum tried to get the conversation back on track. "Fleur is sayink that Beauxbaton is havink team too, da?"

"It will take a leetle time to sort it out, but _oui_ , we will have a team." Fleur agreed.

"Draco sayink that Hogwarts will be havink team soon also." Viktor clapped Draco on his shoulder, causing the smaller boy to stagger under the unexpected impact. "Hogwarts is havink Keeper, two Chasers and Krum is hearing red-head twins are very good beaters, ja? One more Chaser und Seeker, all is good."

"Draco," Harry began and the blond looked at him, "As much as I hate to dump work on others, can you get us a good Chaser and Seeker to fill out the team?"

"Seconded." Cedric confirmed.

"The Seeker will probably be wither Chang or Zabine depending on who wins the Seeker's Duel." Draco mused. "For Chasers… I have several ideas…"

"We'll leave you to it." Cedric smiled. "However, I think that whatever our Headteachers want us for is about to begin."

"Looks that way." Harry agreed as he peered round Krum to see McGonagall leading the other two Headteachers towards them. "Cedric, for the Hogwarts team, you're the Captain."

Cedric grinned at him, then they all turned to face the approaching adults.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but we have a small ceremony that we need to do." Headmaster Scamander smiled. "This way, please?"

.

In the room that the Headmaster and Headmistresses led them too, Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman were waiting on one side while Garrick Ollivander stood looking out of the window. As they entered, he turned and smiled.

"Ah, the Champions arrive." He smiled, then frowned as a green-clad witch barged past him.

"Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet…" She began, then she froze as all three Heads glared at her. "…aaaaaaand I'll ask the questions afterwards…"

As Rita backed away, Bagman stepped forwards, grinning broadly.

"So, the Weighing of the Wands. Mr Ollivander has agreed to lend his expertise."

"Indeed I have." Garrick agreed, giving Bagman a brief glare. "So, who wishes to go first?"

"I may as well." Harry shrugged, glowering at Crouch and Bagman. "This way, should something happen to go wrong, at least the _proper_ Champions will not be affected."

"So much cynicism." Garrick noted as he accepted the wand. "Ah, yes. Apple wood and Horned Serpent Horn, thirteen inches… and _mithril_ engravings? I don't remember those from when I gave it to you."

"I had the wand upgraded with them." Harry shrugged as Garrick looked closely at the wand in his hands. "If anyone tries to use it against me, the spell will backfire against them and should anyone attempt to _break_ the wand… let's just say that although they'll live, they _will_ regret it."

"…fascinating." Ollivander mused as he turned the wand over. "And it _doesn't_ interfere with casting spells?"

"Nope." Harry grinned.

"… _fascinating_." Ollivander repeated. "I _really_ have to speak to the one who did this for you. It opens up a whole new tome of Wandlore for me to explore."

"I'm glad that you're happy about this, but we need to get a move on." Crouch interrupted and Garrick rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Fine. Be that way." He sniffed, then he waved Harry's wand, causing a fountain of sparks to fly up to the ceiling, where they flickered between various colors before fading away.

"Perfect working order… in fact, I may say that it's slightly better than it was when I sold it to you." Ollivander handed the wand back almost reverently. "I _really_ have to meet whoever did this."

"I'll make sure you get an invitation to the Pottery to meet Jor-El." Harry offered as he stepped back.

"So, perhaps Miss Delacour would care to step forwards?" Ollivander prompted and Fleur glided forwards, her wand appearing in her hands. Ollivander carefully scooped it up and held it up to the light for a better look.

"Elegant proportions, nine-and-a-half inches of Rosewood with… oh my. A Veela-hair core?"

"My grandmama donated it." Fleur stated proudly and Ollivander nodded.

"Ah, I see. The link of family would cause it to resonate with you, meaning that it synchronizes with your magic, allowing you to use it with ease whereas anyone _not_ of your blood would find that it would fight them unless they were truly skilled… _Orchideous_!"

A large bouquet of sweet-smelling flowers blinked into existence, then faded away, leaving only their scent and Ollivander held the wand out for Fleur to reclaim. "I admit that I do not know the maker of this wand."

"She never leaves the Enclave." Fleur replied and Ollivander nodded slowly.

"I see. Well, well, well. Mister Diggory… and I remember this wand well. Twelve and a quarter inches of Ash with a Unicorn Tail-hair from a stallion who must have stood almost seventeen hands! I almost got gored that day… but those hairs have lent themselves to some of my best work."

A number of smoke rings issued from the end of the wand, rising up and rotating in and around each other in ways that made Harry blink several times due to the apparent impossibility of their motions.

"Well looked after and in excellent condition." Ollivander finished as he returned the wand. "And… I recognize the styling. This is a _Gregorovitch_ Wand… and a custom one, too. Thicker than normal for a Wand this length… ten and a quarter inches of Hornbeam with a Dragon Heartstring core… _avis_!"

A flock of small birds flashed into existence and promptly swirled up towards the rafters.

"Well, I can see that all four wands are indeed in perfect working order." Ollivander smiled.

"Excellent." Ludo Bagman clapped the elderly Wand-maker on the shoulder, earning a brief glare in return. "Alright, now for the questions. Miss Skeeter? You can ask your questions now."

"Thank you, Mr Bagman." The witch replied as she stepped forwards. "Hello, I'm Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet and this is my photographer. You must all be… hey! What are you doing!"

As Rita spoke, Harry moved round to look at the piece of parchment on the small table in the corner, parchment that had a lime-green quill writing on it.

_The four champions show signs of irritation with each other, the flat-chested French half-breed witch's aura flickering uncontrollab…_

Harry scooped up the parchment, sending the quill flying across the room, then handed it to Fleur, who read it and then looked up at Rita.

"Are zere lawz against ze printing of lies?" She asked in a low, intense tone of voice as Viktor took the parchment.

"…I don't think so." Harry mused. "Outright untruths such as the _Boy-who-lived_ stories are one thing, but this is _technically_ covered by the Journalistic Independence act. As Champions, though, we are allowed to act against those seeking to undermine us…"

Fleur's face seemed to take on a more avian cast and flames formed in her clawed hands.

.

"I wonder how long they'll be." Neville glanced up the corridor at the door that Harry had vanished into.

"They'll take as long as they take." Hermione didn't look up from the book she was reading as she answered, but her attention was wrenched from the literature by the sound of a small explosion. "What was that?"

As if in answer to her question, the door was yanked open and a green-clad witch ran past screaming, smoke trailing from her burning robes, then a second blue-clad shape followed her, throwing fireballs at the fleeing witch.

"Was that…?" Hermione gaped.

"Nev, Hermione, can't stop!" Harry shouted as he ran past. "Got to stop Fleur killing someone!"

"What?"

"This great fun!" Viktor laughed as he ran past. "Must visit Hogwarts more often!"

"…what?"

"Calm down! Calm down! Please!" Ludo Bagman yelled as he and Crouch raced after the fleeing witch and the one trying to burn her.

"…what."

"Well, that was exciting." A voice chuckled and both teens turned to see Garrik Ollivander stepping through the door. "I do believe that Miss Skeeter is reconsidering the advisability of her normal writing style when applied to those who can throw fireballs."

"Looks that way to me." Cedric agreed as he edged around the amused older man, then started jogging down the hall, a piece of parchment in his hand. "I'll take this to the Heads and try to explain."

"… _what_?"

.

As the singed and shivering reporter was fished out of Black Lake and led off to the tender ministrations of Madam Pomphrey, Draco stepped up to the champions.

"We have a tentative schedule for the Quidditch matches." He demurred and Victor accepted the proffered parchment.

"Hah!" He barked out with amusement. "Krum gets to play in first two matches!"

"First and third for us, Harry." Cedric noted as Viktor held out the parchment for the others to look at.

Fleur simply shrugged and stalked off.

"I wonder how the Prophet will report this?" Harry mused.


	17. Selecting The Players

"I'm here." Harry said as he walked onto the pitch, stopping as he saw everyone was looking up. Following their gaze, he took a quick step back as Blaise Zabini dived down from the sun, Cho Chang hot on his tail, then they both peeled off in what Blaise had obviously intended to be a Wronski Feint.

"Kenyon bowed out after the first five minutes." Cedric noted, motioning to where the Hufflepuff Seeker was sat watching the other two. "I think she realized that she was outclassed."

Harry blinked as Cho suddenly pulled up into a rising spiral, Blaise matching her moves perfectly before accelerating ahead of her and then inverting into a high-speed dive. Looking at where Blaise was aiming, Harry spotted the golden glint of the Snitch, a glint which Cho obviously spotted too as she rolled into a vertical dive, lying flat against her broomstick in an attempt to get just that little extra speed.

It wasn't enough.

Blaise pulled up, his outstretched hand holding the Snitch and Cho slowed to a stop, looking angry with herself but giving Blaise a nod of grudging respect.

"It would seem we have our Seeker." Cedric noted. "He's good. I'm suddenly very glad he wasn't on their team last year."

"The Comet S5 probably helped." Harry pointed out. "But you're right. He's good."

"Given that he's going to be going up against Krum, he'd better be." Cedric agreed before striding out on the pitch to shake Blaise's hand.

"Our turn now." Draco said as he stepped forwards, then he grinned at Harry. "We'll be running against Oliver Wood, not you. If we went against you, _none_ of us would be chosen."

Uncertain as to how to interpret that comment, Harry watched as Draco launched himself into the air.

* * *

.

Ginny was still grinning when they sat down at the dinner table an hour after the try-outs had concluded.

"Congratulations, Ginny." Hermione gave the younger girl a one-armed hug as she joined them. "I heard the good news."

"Hogwarts Seeker Ginny Weasley." Ginny bounced up and down in excited pride. "Oh, Mum will be beside herself when I fly onto the pitch!"

"But you do have to learn how Cedric and Draco play, too." Harry pointed out.

"I already know." Ginny countered. "I've gone up against them both, I know how they fly."

"She has a point." Neville agreed and Ginny's expression took on shades of smugness.

"We've already agreed that Cedric'll be the team Captain." Harry supplied as he helped himself to some potatoes. "Cho wasn't too happy about being beaten, but after she and Cedric had a quiet talk, she seemed okay."

"Where is Cho?" Hermione asked, glancing down the table and seeing a gap where Cho would normally be seated.

"Probably the same place that Cedric is." Luna turned back from her examination of the Hufflepuff students. "You did know that they're dating?"

Hermione paused in the middle of scooping some goulash onto her plate. "They are? I didn't know that."

"Hermione…" Ginny sighed. "You know that for the last few years, you've been my role model and one of my best friends, but _Merlin_ do you have some blind spots."

Hermione froze, torn between indignation and confusion.

"They've been dating for over a year." Luna confirmed.

"…oh."

"So, when is the first game scheduled?" Neville asked curiously.

"A week or so after the first Task." Harry replied. "It was agreed that with Madam Pomphrey's skill, the fact that St Mungo's is sending a couple of Healers to assist her if necessary and the fact that Hogwarts has no less than _three_ Potions Masters willing to make whatever potions are needed, a week should be enough to deal with any injuries. SssSthss has made quite a bit of money from her venom and shed fangs, both of which are used along with Phoenix tears in the _Restorius Potion_."

"Isn't that potion super-expensive?" Neville asked, earning several looks of curiosity. "When my parents were still… still hospitalized, that potion was one my gran tried to have made in the hope that it would heal them. At the time, though, there were no Basilisk Fangs available, so it couldn't be made."

"… _shed_ fangs?" Luna added.

"Yes, it is expensive, mainly due to the ingredients needed and the fact that it needs to be tended for a fortnight straight, meaning that a single Potions Master is unable to brew it. It needs at least two who can work together and most Potions Masters aren't actually all that good at teamwork." Harry replied, then he turned to Luna. "Whenever SssSthss breaks a fang, it falls out and a new one grows in its place. Ever since she realized how high the demand was for powdered Basilisk Fang, she's made a habit of shedding a fang a month. More than that would swamp the market as the healing potions that use it only need a few grains or so."

"And the Phoenix…" Hermione cut herself off as she glanced at the Teacher's Table, where Dumbledore was holding up a piece of candied fruit for Fawkes.

"Yep, you got it." Harry confirmed. "Phoenix Tears are used to negate the negative aspects of Basilisk Venom and Fangs. Dumbledore uses the money exclusively on Fawkes… have you seen his new perch?"

"…new perch?" Hermione sounded bemused by the apparent change in conversational direction.

"Goblin-silver multi-level perch complete with padded nest made from fire-proof materials, several food dishes to hold different types of fruit without them risking going off and a mini waterfall for Fawkes to drink from." Harry grinned. "Dumbledore had it made at the Peacock's Ring."

"Isn't that the jewelry shop owned by the Malfoys?" Ginny mused and Neville nodded.

"It is. My mother likes it, but since she and dad are also members of the Peacock's Nest Social Club, she gets a discount of a Sickle in the Galleon."

"Sirius was offered membership as well." Harry noted. "And so was I. I'm still debating whether to accept or not. I mean, the fees are quite high, but on the other hand, the political maneuvering I can do there is nothing to sneer at, which could be very advantageous when I graduate."

"It could indeed." Neville agreed.

* * *

.

The wood seemed to _thrum_ as Voldemort spun it in a complex movement which blocked all of the spells fired against him, then he slammed the butt against the ground, causing a shield to flash into existence at exactly the right time and angle to deflect the next barrage back against the wielder. Even as the last spell reversed direction, Voldemort was in motion again, the staff jabbing and slicing through the air with each move firing off a spell.

" _Eeeep_!"

Pettigrew transformed into his rat form faster than he had ever done before as the deflected barrage sliced through the space that he had been occupying while Barty Jr cast the strongest shield he could, only for one of the spells fired by his Lord to shatter it, sending him flying backwards, coming to a sprawling stop on the grass.

"Brilliant!" Gellert applauded from one side. "Absolutely brilliant. You use my skills almost as well as I used them myself in my prime, and I am certain that you will improve even more."

"I admit that I did not know that there were so many subtleties in staff-using." Voldemort admitted as he slung his staff into the expanded holster he wore on his back. Ignoring Pettigrew reviving Barty, he walked over to the older man. "The amount of power that I can channel…"

"At the cost of mobility and casting speed." Gellert pointed out. "A skilled duelist can fire three or even four spells every second using a spell chain and I believe that Flitwick still holds the record at nine spells in two seconds. With a staff, you are doing well to fire off a spell each second and the physical effort is much greater since it is generally the speed of the staff that dictates the speed of the spell, unless you are using it akin to a Muggle rifle and in that case, you need to build up the power to launch the spell first which can take over a minute depending on the spell you wish to utilize. There are many reasons that Wands are far more popular. Speed, control, flexibility…"

"But Wands cannot be used for things like _this_." Voldemort planted the butt of the staff against the ground and then hissed a phrase in _Parseltongue_ as he lifted the staff and slammed it down again. A wave of energy flashed outwards and the bruise that had been forming on Barty's cheek vanished, as did the scrapes on Peter's hand.

"Area-effect healing as codified by _Paracelsus_." Gellert noted with a proud smile. "Being able to restore your followers to full health is a considerable tactical advantage."

"It is indeed." Voldemort agreed. "It is indeed. Let me try something."

Holding his staff in his left hand, Voldemort summoned a shield and then his wand seemed to materialize in his right hand. " _Stupefy_!"

The spell hit the shield and seemed to fragment, turning from a solid bolt of red light into a fading cloud of sparkles.

"Unfortunate, but informative." Voldemort mused as the shield vanished. "And since one needs _both_ hands on the staff in order to launch a spell… a pity."

"You could always drop the staff-shield each time you fired a spell." Gellert suggested and Voldemort shook his head.

"If I did that, it would force me to render myself vulnerable each time I struck. No, I can hold a shield with my wand and still fire spells through it… Yes. There are very few situations where a staff is indeed advantageous over a wand."

"But if you need to break a Ward or simply hold against a far superior force until you can be reinforced, a staff is invaluable." Gellert countered, then he pulled out his pocket watch and opened it. "I do believe that by now, our agents should be in their quarters. Shall we contact them?"

"An excellent suggestion."

.

Draco froze as the cloak pin vibrated. Quickly finishing the sentence he was writing, Draco reached underneath his desk, his touch causing the mirror stuck to the underneath to detach and fall into his hand. Pulling it out, he opened the stand on the back and then placed it on his desk as the reflection changed from his own face to an image of Voldemort and Grindlewald sitting in comfortable armchairs.

" _Draco, Theodore."_ Voldemort said in greeting.

"My Lord." Draco said with a slight bow, Nott's voice echoing through the connection at almost the same time. "Grindlewald. how may I serve?"

" _Barty has been taking notes about where you have been and what you have been doing."_ Voldemort lifted a small sheaf of parchment as he spoke. _"Draco, you are sharing a changing room with Potter during your Quidditch Matches, yes? There is no rush, but see if you can secure a few of his hairs for me. Some of the details about his past do not quite add up and I wish to learn more. The hair will allow Gellert and I to perform an old scrying ritual to uncover his secrets.  
"Theodore, you will use the secret stairs to go down to the Chamber of Secrets. The stairs are found behind the portrait of Salazar and need a Parseltongue password to open. Take the mirror with you and I shall provide the password and directions to the Chamber. Once there, you shall provide me with a way to enter Hogwarts at any time."_

Draco managed to keep his face expressionless, but his mind started to make connections. It was highly unlikely that the method Voldemort was referring to was a Vanishing Cabinet or anything similar since the first Cabinet had been created only six centuries ago. That meant that it was probably a tunnel.

But a tunnel to _where_?

" _Do either of you have any questions?"_

"No, My Lord." Draco replied immediately. "I understand and will obey."

" _I understand, my Lord."_ Nott's reply followed only a split-second later.

" _Excellent. Nott, you will proceed after everyone else has gone to bed."_

" _Yes, my Lord."_

Voldemort gave them both a benevolent smile, then the reflection shimmered back to showing Draco's face. As Draco returned the mirror to its hiding place under the desk, he couldn't help but feel the suddenly-heavier weight of the cloak-pin.

It felt a lot like a leash…


	18. Unexpected Discoveries

"Ginny, you look rather worried." Harry noted as the girl in question entered the study room. "What's up?"

"I just saw Charlie."

Harry blinked as he mentally reviewed the short sentence.

"…Charlie? As in your brother, Charlie?"

Ginny nodded jerkily and Harry blinked.

"So… he's visiting, right?"

"…working."

"Oh, dammit!" Harry sighed. "Hagrid's got _another_ Dragon egg, has he?"

Ginny stared at him, then started to laugh, weakly shaking her head. "…no, _that_ would be better…"

Harry frowned as he once again reviewed the conversation.

"Ginny… is Charlie working for Crouch?"

.

"You have to be kidding me!" Diggory exclaimed in horror as the four Champions stood just in front of the main entrance to Hogwarts. "We're going up against _Dragons_?"

"How you know dis?" Krum asked.

"I got lucky." Harry admitted. "One of the Dragon Tamers is Charlie Weasley, Ginny's second-oldest brother. He said hello to her and she quickly worked out what it meant. Took _me_ a bit longer, but when I _did_ figure it out…"

" _Oui_ , you asked Luna to find us." Fleur nodded.

"While he grabbed me and pulled me here." Cedric added. "Thanks, Harry, but… _dragons_?"

"The good news is that we _probably_ won't have to kill them." Harry added, earning three quizzical looks. "Historically, the first task is retrieving something from a dangerous animal, the second is far more variable while the third is a race of some kind with the points earned in the first two tasks determining the order of starting."

"But we now know what we need to study up on for the first task." Cedric nodded, then he reached out and clapped Harry on his shoulder. "Thanks, Harry."

" _Oui, merci._ "

"Dank you." Krum rumbled. "Of course, this not mean Krum go easy on you in Quidditch."

"We'd feel slighted if you did." Harry shot back as Cedric burst out laughing and even Fleur smiled slightly, although she was still obviously nervous. Krum responded by briefly grinning, the expression looking odd on his craggy face.

"That's all I've got for now, but…"

"Not to be worried. If Krum finds out more, Krum tell you. Krum best and will prove it no cheating!"

" _You're_ the best?" Fleur sniffed. " _Au contraire, je suis le supérieur ici_."

"Ve shall see." Krum chuckled, then he glanced at the distant ship and the figure that had appeared on deck. "Must go back now. Krum thanks you."

"You have my thanks too." Fleur curtsied slightly, then she turned and glided towards the carriage at a slightly faster speed than either boy had seen her move before (save for when she had been trying to flambe Skeeter).

"Harry, we still good for that practice?" Cedric asked as the other two Champions returned to their vehicles.

"Yep, we're good."

* * *

.

"No, no, no! That's _not_ good!"

Harry gave Draco a quizzical look. "What isn't good? And why are you complaining? You did _almost_ manage to sneak a shot past me near the end."

Draco rolled his eyes, ignoring how the others were watching with amusement.

"You don't get it. _None_ of you do. We are going to be playing in front of thousands of people, those abroad will be watching us with both the tables and those newfangled screens of yours. We will have reporters coming from _every_ newspaper and magazine in the western world and maybe even beyond!"

"…and your point would be?" Harry prompted as the team entered the changing room.

"Your _hair_ is letting us down!" Draco stalked to his locker and pulled out a brush. "Miss Weasley, back me up here! Potter's hair is a _total mess_ and always has been!"

"I kind of like his tousled look." Ginny demurred and Draco glared at her.

"Draco does have a point." Blaise shrugged as he dragged a comb through his own wind-blown locks to begin returning them to their usual smoothness. "Oh, at the end of a game, it's to be expected, but at the start? Sorry, Lord Potter, but as one of the representatives of Hogwarts, you should at least look smart coming _onto_ the pitch."

"We have time to spare." Draco declared as he finished returning his own hair to its usual swept-back style. "Where did I put my spare brush…"

"I could just try to flatten it…" Harry offered, only for Draco to sniff in disgust.

"No! If you are to look smart, we need to find the style that _works_ with your features! Just pulling it back wouldn't work for you! Now sit down and let me try something."

Harry looked at Cedric for help, only to find the Champion snickering at him.

"Sorry, Harry, but he's right."

"Of _course_ I am." Draco paused as he looked closely at Harry's hair. "What conditioner do you use on this?"

"…conditioner?"

Ginny collapsed, gasping for air as she clutched her ribs and Harry gave the laughing girl a look of betrayal.

"Hold still a moment!"

.

Ginny was still giggling as they made their way back to the Ravenclaw Tower, giggles that seemed to stop, only to restart when she looked at Harry and his smoothed hair with a single curly lock that fell forwards onto his forehead. She finally managed to get herself under control as they reached the carved raven that guarded the door to the tower.

" _Although I run, I cannot walk. I babble, though I do not talk.  
_ " _I leap and jump down from the hill and from me others take their fill.  
_ " _What am I?"_

Ginny looked blank, but Harry grinned.

"A stream."

The door swung open and Ginny gave Harry a bemused look.

"Okay, in retrospect it makes sense, but… _how_?"

Harry smirked at her and she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hey, Ginny, Har…" Hermione's greeting stopped as she looked up from her book, the sudden stop attracting the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Interesting hairstyle." Neville mused as he dropped out of the rafters and landed on the ground, having transformed from his animagus form mid-drop. "It suits you."

"I prefer my normal style, but… yeah. For formal occasions, I think I can use it." Harry agreed. "If running White Wing Artificers doesn't work out for Draco I'm sure he'd make an excellent stylist."

Hermione blinked. "Wait. _Draco Malfoy_?"

.

" _Yes, Draco?"_

"My Lord, I have what you requested." Draco held up a small paper bag.

" _So soon? Marvellous, Draco. Marvellous. The next time you go to Hogsmead, use the Switching Rooms to go to Diagon and peruse some books in Flourish and Blotts. Logan will meet you there so that you can pass the hairs to him."_

"I understand, my Lord." Draco nodded deeply enough that it was almost a bow as the mirror rippled back to showing his reflection. Returning the mirror to its hiding place, Draco frowned in contemplation, then he gave a slight shrug and slipped the small paper bag into his money pouch.

.

The mirror showing Draco's face rippled back to showing the two Dark wizards and Gellert stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I do believe that we may be underestimating young Draco." He mused. "To have acquired the hair this soon… and in the amount that the bulge of that bag indicates… How did he do it?"

Voldemort walked over to the mirror showing the view from Draco's cloak pin as the boy exited the Slytherin common room. Drawing his wand, he placed it against the bottom-right corner of the screen, then drew the wand to the left. The picture froze, then shifted backwards until Voldemort removed his wand, allowing the screen to show Draco's hands pointing at something, then producing a hair brush and forcing Potter to sit down as, in the background, several people expressed amusement at the situation.

" _Very_ clever, Draco." Voldemoer smiled with amused approval. "Very cunning. You are a true Slytherin."

"And a good stylist, too." Gellert noted as Draco began trying to tame Potter's errant locks.

"He learned from his father." Voldemort shrugged as they watched Draco experimenting with brushing Harry's hair in different directions. "Lucius and his father were compared to peacocks so often for their near-constant preening that they decided to turn the insult into a status symbol."

"Hence the Albino Peacocks that they kept." Gellert nodded. "I admit, I had occasionally wondered about that."

* * *

.

"We've hit a dead end." Moody admitted ruefully and his audience looked at him.

"How so, if I may ask?" Scamander asked and the other two Headteachers nodded in agreement with his question.

"Umbridge has vanished." Moody growled. "She's gone to ground so well that even the Muggle security services can't find her. We've gone over everything we could find out about her past, interviewed several of those whom she managed to get fired but for one reason or another didn't cause to _vanish_ … even found proof that she _killed_ several people who stood in the way of her promotions or had information that she didn't want to risk being released… but we can't find _her_! Even with the magical map that Potter donated to the DMLE, we can't track her. If not for the fact that she isn't strong enough to cast it, I'd suspect her of being under the _Fidelius_."

"Could she have hidden her wand and gone Muggle?" McGonagall asked after a long moment. "I know that quite a few Muggleborn and Halfbloods did that during the Blood War…"

"We considered it, but Umbridge _hated_ Muggleborns. Accused them of stealing the magic that should have gone to the superior Purebloods and other such rot." Moody shook his head. "Someone with those views would _never_ go Muggle. Merlin! I don't think she even got dressed without using magic."

"Zat bow on her head… _eeeeew_." Maxine shuddered dramatically.

"We caught her on the Muggle cameras until she went into a dead-end alley. I checked it myself. No sign of any magic used to unlock doors, but at the end there was some scatter consistent with Apparition. Too faded to track, though…"

"So, what is the DMLE going to do?" Scamander asked and Moody grinned ferally.

"Amelia's already asked the Centaurs to break out the weapons and shields they used during the Liberation and within a week, we'll have the newest group of former-werewolves fully trained and deployed as sentries around the grounds. Potter's provided another of those scan-tables for the security office, albeit one that only shows the on-duty guards and those not recognised as having a reason to be at Hogwarts… still no idea how those things work. The complexity of the spells and runic arrays that must be needed for those… _anyway_! We have a reinforced guard-post at the gates and the room just off the main entrance has been turned into the security office. Mirrors have been installed at the top of several of the towers, giving us a birds-eye view of the grounds. It's as secure as we can make it without putting a full lockdown into place."

"Which is very secure." Minerva noted. "Thank you, Alistair. We appreciate the effort you have gone to."

"Constant vigilance." Moody grunted. "That bitch got past me once. I refuse to let her do it again."

A long silence descended, then Moody chuckled slightly.

"Just so you know, one of the Aurors overheard the Champions talking. Potter worked out that you're using Dragons for the first task and that they're likely to be having to take something from them. He told the other three and they agreed to share anything else they find out."

"It _was_ supposed to be a secret." Minerva grumbled.

"Kind of Potter to tell the others." Scamander rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Given that he's the youngest and shouldn't be participating…"

"But since we don't know what would happen if we try to give him an easier task or dismiss him from the tournament…" Minerva closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "Damn that pink toad! Damn her and the way that she manipulated everyone into this mess!"

While the other two Headteachers made noises of agreement, Moody remained silent. Although most of what had happened could be traced back to the fugitive witch, some of it was circumstantial at best while other things were so neat and obvious that they had attracted his suspicion.

Real life was messy whereas much of the evidence fitted together far too neatly.

While he knew that Umbridge was indeed a bad one, Moody couldn't shake the suspicion that someone was using her as a scapegoat, capitalizing on her criminal actions…  
…but he was damned if he could figure out who…


	19. Visions Of The Past

"I must say that I am impressed." Gellert noted as he used a pair of silver tweezers to carefully position another hair in the metal bowl that had been carefully placed in the center of the runic circle that covered most of the circular table. "This much hair… and taken _without_ violence… that will magnify the effect considerably."

"You have done this before?" Voldemort asked curiously and Gellert nodded as he stepped back.

"Once. I used it on Percival Graves to ensure that I had his mannerisms right when I impersonated him. Of course, since he was resisting me, I had to use _all_ of his hair and even then, it only gave me an overview of his last few months. With this much hair? We will be able to see _years_ of Lord Potter's life… but I must ask? Why did you choose to start at the beginning instead of backtracking? It is less likely that you will learn where he acquired his unusual skills…"

"But there is much about Potter that I need to know." Voldemort countered. "He was adopted… _blood-adopted_ according to what he told me just before my last unfortunate demise… and I need to know where he came from, if his original family is still alive… if I can use _their_ blood against him."

Gellert nodded as he tucked the tweezers away. "Well, I have placed a third of the hair that young Draco gave us into the bowl, so we can repeat the ritual once this one is concluded but go the other way yet still have some left for anything else we may need to do. The two parts that we will see may not meet, but we shall have a start and a recent overview of his actions. Are you ready?"

Voldemort placed his hands on one of the four paired circles inscribed around the edge of the circle. "I am."

Petticrew and Crouch Jr moved to place their hands on the table too and Gellert took his position across from Voldemort. Looking round, he gave a sharp nod and spoke.

"Ne quis nos testes sumus focus in vitam,  
"A die nativitatis domini ad praesens tempus"

The runic circle began to glow and the air above the bowl shimmered as images began to form, fragmented and whirling, but still somehow recognisable, carrying deeper meaning than simple vision would explain.

 _Towers of metal and crystal, rising into the skies  
_ _A watchful presence of unliving intelligence  
_ _A dark-haired man pleading, shouting, trying to reason and being ignored  
_ _The man returning to a loving wife, swollen with child  
_ _Pieces of crystal and metal, machines more advanced than anything seen on Earth  
_ _A cot, a cradle, a vessel of hope  
_ _A newborn placed into the small vessel as the building shakes itself apart  
_ _A planet destroyed  
_ _Stars  
_ _Light  
_ _Falling from the heavens and coming to a rest on the ground  
_ _A dark-haired man staring at the pod  
_ _The child carried into the house  
_ _A red-headed woman crying over a stillborn child  
_ _A spell  
_ _A ritual  
_ _The woman feeding the child, her face content  
_ _A small grave in the garden, spelled so that the woman was unaware of it  
_ _A happy family  
_ _Abandoning the home and moving to a hidden house  
_ _A powerful spell cast by a man with a waist-length beard  
_ _The woman altering the spell to change the one it is linked to  
_ _Betrayal  
_ _The man slain, the woman confronting the intruder and killed in turn  
_ _Runes of blood, the child empowered, the spell deflected  
_ _The child taken to a Muggle house  
_ _The child growing up, unloved and virtually ignored by family  
_ _Signs of strength. Signs of speed. Power growing…  
_ _The child… the letter…  
_ … _wand…  
_ … _the hidden vessel…_

The images shattered and evaporated, leaving the four wizards staring wide-eyed at the bowl.

"You _have_ to be Morgana-loving _kidding_ me…" Barty finally broke the silence. "Another _world_?"

"Blood adoption." Voldemort frowned. "A ritual that bestows on the adoptee the status they would have had if naturally born to the ones adopting them… combined with the Order of Merlin he was granted… a Pureblood indeed."

"The technology of that world seems oddly familiar." Peter mused, then his eyes widened. "The phones! The screens! Potter's been releasing the technology to both the Wizards _and_ the Muggles!"

"I was right to refuse to buy either." Barty realized.

"It wasn't simple paranoia." Peter agreed. "At the end, we saw him find the thing that brought him to Earth…"

"Well noticed." Voldemort said approvingly and Peter swelled with pride. "Yes, Potter's parents… whoever they were, sent him here when their own world was destroyed. They must have sent tomes of knowledge with him… knowledge that he has been using to redirect the Wizarding World and bring it closer to that of the Muggles."

"Is he trying to overturn the Statute of Secrecy or something?" Barty asked and Voldemort slowly shook his head.

"I think not. In fact, by making Wizards more aware of the technology that Muggles routinely use, it is now less likely that they will be uncovered. The Tegg's Nose Cavern provides more places for magicals to live, to work and to play, reducing the temptation to stray into the Muggle world… the Switching Rooms that connect Tegg's Nose, Hogsmeade and Diagon allow even those who cannot Apparate or afford Portkeys to travel between them almost instantly… I do believe that he is expanding the Wizarding World in ways that do not risk intruding on the Muggle world, while letting those who can walk in both worlds do so more easily. Brilliant… And irritating. The amount of support he has no doubt earned makes it difficult to topple him, and harder to do so in a way that lets us take over."

Gellert blinked.

"…take …over?"

The two Dark Lords looked at each other, then started to grin.

"I will need to re-draw some of the runes, but we should see what we have ready to claim." Gellert chuckled.

"I missed something." Peter admitted.

"You're not the only one." Barty replied.

.

Voldemort placed his hands on one of the four paired circles inscribed around the edge of the circle. "I am ready."

Pettigrew and Crouch Jr moved to place their hands on the table too and Gellert took his position across from Voldemort. Looking round, he gave a sharp nod and spoke.

"Ne quis nos testes sumus focus in vitam,  
"De die praesentis ad tempus nativitatis."

The runic circle began to glow and the air above the bowl shimmered as images began to form once again.

* * *

.

"The Pottery." Voldemort mused as he accepted a mug of coffee. "That is the keystone of his power. It is where he keeps the knowledge of his former home and the spirit-golem that guards it."

"Reaching it will be… problematic." Gellert sighed, looking down into his cup of tea. "The Wards are reactive, controlled by the spirit-golem, the basilisk can kill with a look, there are at least _two_ House elves…"

"But it holds the location of the Obscurials we once commanded." Voldemort growled.

"I'll have to visit one of my old archives." Gellert paused as he took a sip of his tea. "I made lots of observations about Arianna Dumbledore… I was working on a way to modify the _Imperious_ so that it worked on _Obscurials_. Done right, it would alter them at their most basic level, making them unshakably loyal… in theory, at least."

"That would be useful." Voldemort agreed.

"I'll also run a few tests on some of the remaining hair." Gellert added. "What we've seen him do… there must be some way for us to claim that power for ourselves, even if only temporarily."

"He _is_ very strong and incredibly fast." Voldemort agreed. "His lack of resistance to magic shouldn't be a problem for those as skilled as we are, but the rest?"

Peter raised his hand to get their attention. "Sirs, I was re-reading the notes that Draco provided and apparently Potter can see the Snitch at all times during matches… He directs his team's Seeker towards it…"

"I wonder why Potter didn't claim the position of Seeker himself." Gellert frowned.

"Born! With an _E_ at the end!" Voldemort suddenly exclaimed, causing the other three to stare at him in confusion.

"…How does that relate to his Quidditch position?" Gellert finally inquired and Voldemort shook his head.

"It doesn't. It's something that just occurred to me. I heard the Prophecy but when young Potter told me that he had been _adopted_ by the Potters rather than being their natural-born child, I assumed that the Prophecy was either broken or applied to something else entirely. But… we saw him _borne to_ the Potters! _Transported_! Don't you see?

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord_ approaches _...  
_ "Borne _to those who have thrice defied him,_ borne _as the seventh month dies...  
_ " _And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...  
_ " _And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...  
_ " _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be_ borne _as the seventh month dies..._

"The Prophecy still holds true!"

"…remarkable." Gellert stared at nothing as he thought through what his fellow Dark Lord had deduced. "And so very much like a Prophecy. Easy to interpret, but with other meanings as well… Borne with an _E_. By the way… how did you find out about that Prophecy? Surely Albus would have done his best to conceal it from you?"

"One of my followers overheard the first two sentences of it and informed me." Voldemort frowned in memory. "I was rash back then… rash and drunk on the power I had accumulated. I set out to kill the one I deemed to be my potential equal… and lost almost everything I had claimed for myself that day."

"But if you only had the first _two_ lines…" Gellert prompted and Voldemort snorted in amusement.

"After my return, I simply visited the Hall of Prophecies and listened to it for myself."

 _That_ got Gellert's attention and Voldemort smiled at the sudden look of intensity on the older man's face.

"It was quite simple. While I had Lucius Malfoy hold a Ball to which he invited not only his own allies but many of those whom were unaligned and even politely opposed to him, I used the timing of the event to have one of my other followers help me walk openly into the Ministry under my old name, under the pretense of retrieving a lost item. We went to the Hall of Prophecies and looked up where the Prophecy was, I listened to it and then we left with no-one the wiser.

"But when I wrote it down, I did not add the _E_ since I assumed that the word was for _birthed_ rather than _transported_."

A long silence settled over the room, then Peter slowly raised his hand.

"Um, thought, sirs. Could his people have been Atlanteans?"

"What do you mean?" Gellert asked and Peter gave a self-conscious shrug.

"Well, Atlantis was meant to be a city that was really, really advanced, which took magic and understood it at the most basic level, but one day the city just… _vanished_. Right?"

"…continue." Voldemort prompted when Peter paused.

"Well, what if the Atlanteans had _moved_ the city instead of destroying it as the legends said? What if they Portkeyed it to another world to get away from the Muggles? When Potter was carried to Earth, it kinda reminded me of how a Portkey would look without the spinning…"

"…the last son of Atlantis…" Voldemort breathed almost reverently. "It fits. The towers we saw, the robes… how they got the device that carried him here to float and fly… the spirit that serves Potter… it all fits! He has the legacy of Atlantis to call upon… to empower himself with!"

"A legacy that everyone thought lost until now." Gellert added, giving Peter a wide smile of approval. "An _excellent_ deduction, Peter. It explains so much."

"And now we know, we can do mor research on the myths of Atlantis." Voldemort continued with a predatorial smile. "Even the wildest myth contains a grain of truth… and by winnowing out the chaff, we shall be able to determine just what we face and what we can claim!"

Peter sat back in his chair, a smug smirk on his face.


	20. Facing Dragons

"Dragons." Cedric cursed as he entered the tent.

"…we already knew." Fleur pointed out and Cedric sighed.

"Yeah, but… I got a look as we came in. They've got a _Peruvian Vipertooth_ out there!"

"… _merde_."

"So." Harry rolled his eyes. "Bets on it being _me_ who faces that one? It seems to be the way my luck works at times like this."

"I'm going to bet that… you turn it into another one of your guardian monsters like your Baslilisk." Cedric joked and Harry pretended to stroke his chin thoughtfully.

"I hadn't considered that… but now that you mention it…"

"No!" Cedric protested in shock, then he gave a rueful chuckle as Harry and then Viktor both started to laugh. "Prat."

"That's _Lord_ Prat to you." Harry sniffed dismissively and Fleur giggled.

"Hello!" A familiar voice called out and a moment later, Ludo Bagman made his entrance, one followed by several reporters. "Hello! It is time for the First Task and the aim is simple! We have placed a golden egg in a nest and your task is to retrieve that egg with points given for speed, technique and method chosen."

Percy Weasley seemed to pop up out of nowhere and held out a large bag that Bagman accepted.

"Thank you. Now, in this bag are for models of the creatures guarding the nest, each with a tag showing the order in which they must be faced. If you could select your opponent…"

"I choose you." Harry deadpanned, pointing at Ludo, who looked confused for a moment, then sighed as the other three Champions began laughing.

"Lord Potter, this is a serious moment. Please."

Harry shrugged and stepped back as Bagman extended the bag, holding it so that it was open, but the contents could not be seen.

"Now, if you could please select the model of the creature you will face?"

"Ladies first." Harry prompted and Fleur glided past, reaching into the bag and pulling out the model of a dragon that had slightly over-sized nostrils and a rounded head.

"Ah yes, the _Catalonian Fireball_ , believed to be extinct until recently due to the Spanish Ministry of Magic misfiling the records of the Dragon Sanctuary located near _Sarocca de Leida_." Bagman supplied as the model snapped at empty air, then pawed at the tag around its neck that had the number 3 on it. "You will be the third one to take to the field."

Viktor Krum stalked forwards and thrust his hand into the bag, withdrawing it to reveal that he had grabbed a pearl-colored snake-like dragon.

"The _Antipodean Opaleye_ , considered the most beautiful of Dragons and a native of new Zealand." Bagman commented as Krum disentangled the tag from the model and held it up to show the number one.

"Viktor always knew Viktor was first." The Bulgarian Seeker joked, moving aside to let a nervous Cedric have his turn.

"The _Portugese Longsnout_ , brought here from the Geres Sanctuary." Bagman identified the pale-green model and Harry sighed.

"Called it."

"Called what?" Ludo asked as he held the bag towards Harry.

"Peruvian Vipertooth." Harry sighed, not bothering to reach into the bag. "As soon as I knew that it was one of the four, I just _knew_ I'd end up fighting it."

"He _did_ call it." Cedric confirmed as Harry finally gave in and pulled the last model out of the bag.

"There's some pretty good spell-work on these." He noted as the model started to try and gnaw on his thumb. "Do we get to keep them?"

"…what?" Ludo lookd completely lost.

"It would make an interesting display piece." Harry shrugged. "I could have a plaque made for it. _I fought a dragon and all I got was this model_. What do you think. Does it need work?"

"If you are ready?" Barty Crouch Sr asked brusquely from the tent entrance. "We start in five minutes. Weatherby, who's first?"

"Krum is number one!" Viktor declared before Percy could answer.

"Then get ready." Crouch said before vanishing back outside.

"What a _grump_." Harry shook his head while Cedric tried frantically not to laugh. "Okay. Viktor, good luck out there."

"I be keepink model too." Viktor looked down at the serpentine dragon that was coiled up in his hands. "See how long spellwork last for."

Harry nodded, then tilted his head slightly. "I think they're coming."

"… _and the first Champion emerges, the world-famous Bulgarian Seeker  
_ _Viktor Krum, currently in his final year at Durmstrang Academy!_

 _"In accordance with the rules, Krum has only his Wand to aid him in this  
_ _task which pits him against an_ Antipodean Opaleye _brought here from  
_ _New Zealand for this event!"_

"Dragons." Voldemort mused as he watched the view as shown through Draco's pin. "Quite a challenge. Even I might have some difficulty."

"Dragons are incredibly resistant to control spells." Gellert agreed. "I had planned to have an aerial corps, but Dragons were more prone to eat their riders than obey their commands. The other possible animals I could have used were too vulnerable to area-effect spells… shame. It would have been incredible to see."

Voldemort nodded almost absently as he watched Krum cast a spell that caused two blobs of darkness to form, one blob on each of the dragon's eyes.

"…Idiot." Gellert winced and Krum took advantage of the dragon's blindness to try and dart towards the nest, only to have to frantically evade a blast of fire. "Dragons can detect heat using small pits near their nostrils. The dragon may be blind, but she can still tell where he is from his body-heat."

"So I see." Voldemort agreed as Krum retreated, his left sleeve smoldering slightly from where a lick of flame had got through his shield. "I wonder what… did he just…?"

The dragon pawed at its face as Krum, surrounded by a shifting veil of snow, darted in again, grabbing the egg and retreating before dispelling both the snow and the darkness. The dragon looked round, saw that Krum was at the other end of the field and settled protectively over the eggs.

"Impressive." Gellert noted. "He remembered about the heat."

"… _and Krum leaves the field with the Golden Egg in hand, having just a  
_ _single scorched sleeve as a memento of the challenge he faced._

_"The four judges are conferring… Barty Crouch gives an eight!_

_"Minerva McGonagall also gives an eight!_

_"Olympe Maxine gives a seven!_

_"Theseus Scamander gives an eight for a total of thirty-one points!_

_"Thirty-one out of a possible forty, an incredible start by Viktor Krum!_

_"And now, the nest is levitated away to be replaced by the second of  
_ _the four dragons, this one is a_ Portugese Longsnout!"

"My turn." Cedric inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders as Bagman opened the tent-flap.

"You can do this, Cedric!" Harry called out reassuringly and Cedric raised his hand in a quick wave before the flap closed.

" _And the second Champion, Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts, steps  
_ _onto the field, his wand already in hand as he faces off against  
_ _the nesting dragoness…"_

The entertainment room of the Peacock's Nest certainly wasn't crowded, but it was the fullest that Narcissa Malfoy could remember it being. One entire wall was taken up by a custom-fitted Evans Enterprises Magevision Screen which was showing the arena in which the first task of the Tri-Wizard was taking place, giving the impression that the entertainment room was actually a luxurious box set above the main stands, although the inset screens that showed the commentators and close-ups of the contestants reduced that effect while managing to increasing the overall experience.

"This is truly amazing!" Cornelius Fudge gushed as he accepted a pair of glasses from one of the waiters, passing one to his wife. "Exciting, comfortable… and just _what_ is this wonderful drink?"

Narcissa glanced at the tumbler in Fudge's hand. "That is a drink known as _Cherryade_."

"I _have_ to find out where to get some of my own." Fudge took another sip as his wife nodded in agreement. "Oh, what's he doing?"

Narcissa turned her attention away from the man who was only a member because of the office he held (although from going through the Malfoy books, she knew that Lucius had _helped_ Fudge to become almost wealthy enough to qualify for membership in his own right) and looked at the screen.

"He's using transfiguration." She realized as the first few stones ran towards the dragon, barking, while an ape circled round the edge of the field. "He's using the dogs to distract the dragon so that the ape can grab the egg…"

"Remarkable!" Fudge exclaimed and Narcissa drifted towards the Butler overseeing the disbursement of refreshments by the Footmen and Maids.

"Anything I should be aware of?" She sub-vocalised, knowing that the Butler's vampiric hearing would allow him to hear her question. The vampire gave a tiny head-shake that could easily have been mistaken for a twitch and Narcissa continued towards the corner where the Longbottoms were watching.

"… _and the transfigured ape hands the Golden Egg to Diggory,  
_ _allowing him to leave the field without having placed himself  
_ _in harms way._

_"The four judges are conferring… Barty Crouch gives an eight!_

_"Minerva McGonagall gives a nine!_

_"Olympe Maxine gives an eight!_

_"_ _Theseus_ _Scamander gives nine for a total of thirty-four points!_

_"Cedric Diggory moves into the lead as the next dragon is moved  
_ _into position for the third Champion!"_

"Good luck, Fleur." Harry smiled and the Witch gave him a slightly nervous smile.

"Luck? _Non_ , I have skill. I am ready."

"Excellent!" Bagman called from the tent flap. "So if you will please come this way, Miss Delacour?"

Harry watched her leave, then sat down cross-legged onto the floor. Putting his hands on his knees, he closed his eyes and began to meditate.

It wouldn't do to risk panicking, after all.

.

From behind the bar of the Leaky Cauldron, Tom watched the projected screens that were zoomed in on the French Witch gliding out into the arena.

"I wonder what she's going to do?" One of his patrons asked curiously as the dragon peered at the witch who had come to a stop a little way beyond its normal flame range.

"My son Charlie works with Dragons." Molly Weasley spoke up from the corner, where she and Arthur had just finished their meal. "He was one of the ones who checked the Sarocca Sanctuary after its records were recovered. Apparently the _Catalonian Fireball_ shares the same weakness to magically-enhanced music as the _Chinese Fireball_ does… although given it's an offshoot, that's only to…"

Molly's explanation died away as Fleur touched her wand to her throat and began to sing, her voice enhanced by the _Sonorus_ that she had cast and made more powerful by the power of her heritage.

" _Fais dodo, Colas, mon p'tit frère, fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.  
"Fais dodo, Colas, mon p'tit frère, fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.  
"Maman est en haut, qui fait des gâteaux; Papa est en bas, fait du chocolat.  
"Fais dodo, Colas, mon p'tit frère, fais dodo, t'auras du lolo."_

Fleur's voice flowed out over the suddenly-motionless pub and the dragon settled down around its nest as she repeated the lullaby for a second time. By the third iteration, the dragon was asleep and Fleur quickly but quietly made her way to the nest, jumping lightly over the dragon's tail and picking up the Golden Egg before leaving the same way, almost running as she headed for the exit.

"…wow." Tom breathed.

"… _and Fleur Delacour leaves the field, having used her voice to  
_ _sooth the savage beast, allowing her to claim the Golden Egg!_

_"The four judges are conferring… Barty Crouch gives a ten!_

_"Minerva McGonagall gives a ten!_

_"Olympe Maxine gives a ten!_

_"_ _Theseus_ _Scamander gives also ten for a perfect score!_

_"Fleur Delacour storms into the lead with an unbeatable  
_ _performance! What a truly incredible display of skill and  
_ _pure talent!_

_"And now the last dragon is brought out onto the field for  
_ _the final participant, Lord Harry James Potter!"_

Harry opened his eyes as he heard Ludo Bagman approaching.

"Well, time to try to not die."


	21. The Golden Egg

" _...and here comes Lord Potter now_!"

Harry looked up at the raised stands behind the rune-pillar-projected shielding that had been installed to ensure that in the extremely unlikely case that a Dragon managed to escape and go on a rampage, the audience would be protected long enough for the dragon to be brought down by the dragon keepers. Atop each pillar was a camera being controlled from a box set above and behind the stands while just in front of the stands (and with twice the shielding) was the Judges area and Announcer booth.

Pausing to pull his wand out of the holster on his belt, Harry gave a nod and Neville threw a package high into the air for Harry to summon. The package slapped into his hands and he quickly strapped the modified wand-holster onto his left arm, the central wand-storage flanked by his staff and his shrunken broomstick. Pulling the staff out of its restraining clips, Harry expanded it to full size and began moving slowly towards the dragon.

.

"Is that legal?" Newton asked and Minerva gave a helpless nod. "Huh. Clever. Very clever. Viktor is probably kicking himself by now."

"He uses a Staff?" Crouch gaped as the dragon fired a blast of flame at Harry, who responded by planting his staff on the ground and creating a shield that effortlessly deflected the stream of fire.

.

"Impressive." Voldemort allowed as the dragon stopped its assault, letting Harry resume moving around the nest.

.

Hermione's knuckles were white as she watched one of her best friends face off against a magic-resistant fire-breathing poisonous beast many times his size.

.

The _Peruvian Vipertooth_ hissed as Harry continued to circle round it, then it made an odd choking noise before firing several fireballs at Harry. Harry responded by spinning his staff and firing magical blasts at each fireball, detonating them before they could get close enough to be a threat to him.

.

"…I see I still have much work ahead of me if I'm to catch up." Draco unwillingly allowed. Standing just next to him, Theodore Nott simply nodded in shocked silence.

The last fireball detonated harmlessly and the Vipertooth snarled at the intruder that had somehow negated its attack. The chains clinked as the Vipertooth shifted position, the rubbing of the metal collar against its scales reminding it that it couldn't simply lunge forwards to feast on the potential meal before it.

.

"I think it's time to use Umbridge's little gift." Voldemort mused and Gellert pulled out a small, shallow wooden box. Opening it, he looked at the four pieces of string stretched from end to end, pinned in place with shavings of metal.

"Amazing how she was able to use sympathetic magic on the chains that she had arranged to be used to restrain the dragons." Gellert noted as his wand hovered abve the string, end glowing with a small cutting spell.

"She intended to use it to kill the Veela." Voldemort shrugged. "She really did hate half-breeds and non-human sentients. Do it."

Gellert's wand touched all four strings, leaving them unbroken, but only by the smallest thread. Voldemort raised a quizzical eyebrow while behind them, Peter and Barty exchanged confused looks.

"Having the unused chains suddenly break as well would be suspicious." Gellert pointed out. "This way, the slightest tug will break the chain restraining that dragon and we can cancel the spell afterwards, leaving no trace on the other chains as to how it was done."

.

Harry continued to circle the nest and the dragon kept turning to face him, the chain attached to its collar slowly tightening around its body as Harry carefully kept its attention focused on him. As he finished circling, the chain suddenly snapped taut, halting the dragon, then it simply snapped.

"Oh. Fuck."

.

Minerva shot to her feet as broken links from the chain that had prevented the dragon from rampaging arced through the air, but there was nothing that she could do.

.

"HARRY!"

Hermione's scream of warning was almost drowned in the screams and shouts from the audience as the now-unencumbered dragon lunged forwards, venom droplets forming on its fangs. Rather than dodge, Harry sprinted to meet it, shrinking his staff and returning it to his wrist-holster as he did so.

"HARRY!"

.

The food was coming to meet it. Did it _want_ to be eaten?

.

Harry sprinted forwards, then as the dragon lunged, Harry threw himself into a sliding tackle, kicking upwards at just the right time to cause the dragon's jaw to slam shut. Rolling sideways, Harry _just_ managed to evade a stamping foot, then his broomstick was in his hand and pulling him towards the nest, bare inches above the ground. As the dragon spun round, Harry's path let him scoop up the golden egg and pull up into a vertical climb, concentrating every fiber of his being into getting away.

.

"…merciful Merlin…" Minerva gasped as Harry zoomed upwards, supported only by his one-handed grip on the broomstick.

.

Rolanda Hooch stared in shock at the rapidly-rising boy. What he was doing was _impossible_! He was accelerating faster than that model of broomstick was physically capable of _and_ doing it while holding on _one-handed_ , thus not allowing any of the inbuilt charms to help hold him in position and reduce the physical forces acting on him.

The only explanation that she could come up with was that Potter had somehow procured some Re'em blood and drunk it just before the Task in order to be able to use the temporary strength boost to his best advantage.

But while that could explain his ability to hold on to the broomstick, it _didn't_ explain just how he'd managed to boost its maneuverability like that.

It was almost as if he was somehow pushing it.

But that was impossible.

Right?

.

The dragon snarled at the rapidly-shrinking food, then moved back to the nest.

All the eggs were there and the metal not-egg was gone, so she settled back down, glaring round at the slowly-approaching food-bringers.

.

"…I do not normally swear, but _fucking hell_!" Gellert managed and the three other wizards watching with him nodded in agreement.

"… _and Potter lands outside the arena, thus finishing the Task  
_ _in what has to have been the most dramatic fashion ever!_

_"The four judges are conferring… Barty Crouch gives ten!_

_"Minerva McGonagall also gives ten!_

_"Olympe Maxine gives ten as well!_

_"_ _Theseus_ _Scamander gives also ten for a perfect score!_

_"Lord Potter moves into equal-first with Fleur Delacour!_

_"And with that absolutely incredible display, the First Task  
_ _of the Tri-Wizard Tournament comes to an end!_

_"We now return to our studio to discuss today's incredible  
_ _showing…"_

"Incredible indeed." Voldemort breathed.

"Such speed and strength." Gellert agreed. "I'll begin brewing the potion for the ritual tomorrow morning, but it will take several months to do properly."

"I _must_ find some way to reward Draco for his actions." Voldemort mused.

.

The four contestants looked at their prizes as Ludo Bagman spoke.

"If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open … see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg — because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it!"

"Well, at least we have several months to think about it." Harry shrugged. "For now, though, I think I need to get some rest."

"Seconded." Cedric and Fleur chorused before exchanging tired smiles.

"Thirded." Viktor added and all four chuckled.

* * *

.

"That was _egg_ sausting." Harry punned as he slumped into the armchair in the Ravenclaw Common room and Hermione groaned.

"We could see you _scrambling_ to win." Neville supplied.

"When you did, we were all _shell-_ shocked." Luna added.

" _Cracking_ good show, though." Ginny giggled.

"It was no _yolk_ ing matter." Harry fired back and Hermione face-palmed.

"I think everything's all _white_ , though." Neville mused.

"You were un- _beat_ -able." Ginny continued.

"Enough with the egg-puns, already!" Hermione burst out in exaspiration. "Can't you at least delay this until… de _lay_ … oh Merlin, you've got me doing it now…"

The friends laughed at Hermione's annoyance, then Harry held up the egg.

"There are hinges on this, so it can be opened. Undo the clasp and…"

Screeching and wailing filled the common room and Harry slammed the egg closed, stopping the noise. Silence filled the common room until Neville finally spoke.

"What in Merlin's name _was_ that?"

* * *

.

"I've think I've managed to figure out what caused the chain to break." Moody reported. "The way the dragon moved shouldn't have been enough to break the chain by itself. My best guess was either a time-delayed spell or some sort of sympathetic magic. I would lean towards the latter as I've found areas on the other three chains where the links have been shaved slightly. I also managed to determine who did it from the faint magical signature, one so faint that if I'd waited another day or so, it would have been too faint to identify. Umbridge. Her magic has a very specific pattern I've come to recognize only too well."

"So she's alive and trying to kill Lord Potter." Crouch growled. "Why haven't you found her and slapped her in Azkaban yet?"

"We still don't know where she is." Moody shot back. "Can _you_ tell us? No? Then butt out, Crouch. This is DMLE business."

Crouch leaned back in his chair, his frown just a hair short of being describable as an angry pout.

"Moving on." Minerva interjected before Crouch could regain his mental momentum. "The first Interschool Quidditch Match is the week after next. Theseus, is your school's team assembled?"

"They are." Theseus confirmed as Olympe smirked slightly. "Is yours?"

"It is and they've been practicing." Minerva replied.

* * *

.

Cedric stepped through the door and looked round. A small branch fell and he looked up to see Neville in his animagus form hanging one-handed from the frame that supported the glass roof, a pair of shears clasped in his foot as he finished trimming the tree.

"I _so_ have to get my Occlumancy skill high enough to learn how to do that." He muttered to himself as he edged around the small pile of lopped twigs, making his way deeper into the space-expanded room. "Harry? Lord Potter?"

A very familiar tabby cat emerged from the undergrowth and stretched before looking up at him and Cedric paused.

"Headmistress, could you point me towards Lord Potter?"

Minerva gave a slow nod, then turned and stalked down the path, glancing behind her to check that Cedric was following.

.

Cedric watched as the honey bear lifted the white dog off the ground and threw it to one side before being tackled to the ground by a tiger (which was carefully keeping its claws sheathed). The bear rolled out of the tiger's hold and then dodged sideways with surprising nimbleness so that the St Bernard that had been trying to tackle it from behind collided with the tiger instead. The bear didn't remain un-tackled for long as a panther leapt out and landed on its back.

"…huh?"

Suddenly aware of their audience, the animals froze, then disengaged from their tussling, most of them sprawling almost randomly around the clearing. The St Bernard loped over and as it drew close, rippled upwards to become Ponoma Sprout, causing Cedric's shock to increase.

"Merlin, that was fun." She giggled. "Hello, Mr Diggory, did you need something?"

"I… was hoping to talk to Harry." Cedric managed and the white dog's ears perked up. A moment later, the dog was gone, replaced by the very person that Cedric had been looking for.

"Hi, Cedric!" Harry called as he strode over. "What's up?"

"An owl, looks like." Cedric snarked and Harry glanced up.

"Oh. Hi, Professor Sinistra!"

The owl gave a soft hoot before gliding off and Cedric stared after it in shock.

"That was Professor Sinistra?"

"She likes being an owl." Ponoma shrugged. "Apparently Grace helped her learn to fly better."

"Grace is my owl." Harry supplied, seeing that Cedric was looking somewhat lost. "With how things have changed recently, I rarely have a need for her to deliver messages, so she's switched jobs to work directly for Jor-El."

"Doing _what_?" Cedric asked despite himself.

"Recon, mainly. He's made a special harness for her that contains a tiny camera and she flies around, letting him look at things in real-time." Harry smiled. "She was at the First Task, some of the footage used by Kitsune Broadcasting came from her camera."

As if she had been summoned, Grace appeared from behind one of the trees, gliding down to land on the arm that Harry had held out for her even without looking round. Tucking her wings in, Grace sidled onto Harry's shoulder and Harry pointed to the shield-shaped object on Grace's chest, an object held in place by carefully arranged straps obviously placed to avoid interfering with her wings.

"That's the camera and it also contains a microphone and small loudspeaker. Jor-El has also been working on a translation matrix so Grace can speak. She's very intelligent, you know."

" _Two-leg feed?"_

Harry reached into one of his belt-pouches and pulled out an owl-treat which he held up for Grace to take. As she nipped it from between his fingers, Harry continued to explain.

"As a Post Owl, Grace can find almost anyone who doesn't have an Owl Ward up, meaning that if I need to speak to someone who doesn't have a phone, I can ask Grace to find that person and then use the harness to talk through."

"An owl-phone." Ponoma giggled. "Nice."

"We're selling the harnesses and instructions in how to use them at Tegg's Nose." Harry shrugged the shoulder that Grace _wasn't_ sitting on. "So, what did you want?"

Cedric re-focused. "Well, I was having a bath while examining the egg and I accidentally dropped it into the water. I think that you should do that too."

Harry blinked in confusion. "…okay?"


	22. Discussions

" _Come seek us where our voices sound / We cannot sing above the ground,  
_ " _And while you're searching ponder this; We've taken what you'll sorely miss,  
_ _"An hour long you'll have to look / and to recover what we took,  
_ _"But past an hour, the prospect's black / Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

"That sounds ominous." Neville noted as he passed the parchment holding the rhyme across to Hermione. "Any ideas?"

"The Black Lake." Harry said instantly, earning a confused look. "The voices sound like speech _under_ water, but not above, meaning that it's almost certainly Merspeech, hence Black Lake. Something… or possibly some _one_ will be placed in the lake to be recovered. It's that last line that I dislike. I dislike it a _lot_."

"I can see why." Hermione sounded rather shaken as she handed the parchment back.

"I've contacted both Viktor and Fleur via Grace and they've lodged protests already with their respective heads. Cedric's doing the same with McGonagall."

"What if they do nothing about it?" Hermione asked and Harry's expression went cold.

"I've used violence before. I didn't like it, but if they put anyone else's lives at risk…"

"Rest assured, Lord Potter, that won't be necessary." Flitwick interjected from behind them and Hermione sighed in relief.

"Sir?"

Flitwick smiled reassuringly at Harry. "The three Heads have talked to Crouch and Bagman, as well as Albus and Remus. Have you heard of _timed portkeys_? Remus has said that he's going to contact Jor-El to have special remote-triggered timed Portkeys with monitoring charms so if _anything_ goes wrong, the hostages will be _instantly_ moved to the medical room. If they haven't been rescued by the time that the task ends, the timer will activate for the same outcome, hence the whole _it's gone_ line. The other Champions are being informed of this even as we speak."

"Thank you, sir." Harry sagged back in his chair and Filius smiled again.

"Well, I didn't want you to think you had to act against Minnie. I enjoy teaching, but I've seen how much paperwork the position of Headmaster carries and _no thank you_."

Filius turned to leave, then paused, looking back over his shoulder.

"By the way, the Merfolk may _act_ threateningly when the time comes, but they will not actually interfere with the rescues. That means that you won't have to punch them like you did the Death Eaters when you did whatever it was to cancel magic. Or like you did to those five _Obscurials_ , now that I come to think about it."

"Thanks, sir."

* * *

.

"What _did_ happen to those _Obscurials_?"

Minerva looked up from the Merlin-damned paperwork to look quizzically at Filius.

"Where did that come from?"

"I was talking to Lord Potter regarding the final line of the rhyme in the egg and it occurred to me that we don't actually _know_ how he won."

"His Basilisk saved him." Minerva leaned back in her seat. "I should know, I saw her crashing into the Forest, following the trail the Obscurials had left."

"And she had a pair of Wagyu bulls specifically imported for her from Japan as a reward." Filius pointed out. "If she had _eaten_ the Obscurials, she probably wouldn't have had enough of an appetite for that."

"It's at moments like this that your Goblin heritage is most apparent." Minerva admitted, looking slightly green. "So… Potter's Basilisk _didn't_ eat the Obscurials…"

"I checked with Jor-El." Filius continued. "The Basilisk needs Lord Potter's permission to use her stare on its Lethal setting and in close quarters with Potter possibly in the line of sight? No, she would have simply used her Petrification ability which then leads to the question, _what_ happened to the bodies?"

"…maybe the Centaurs collected them?"

"They would have handed them over to Hagrid and we both know that he would have asked for permission to revive at least one of them as they were undoubtedly _misunderstood_." Flitwick's tone of voice was drier than a dehydration spell.

"…I don't know, then." Minerva frowned. "Perhaps they just ran away? I know that _I_ would if I was suddenly confronted by an unexpected giant Basilisk…"

* * *

.

"Lord Potter? A moment of your time, please?"

Harry looked round then Cedric tapped him on his shoulder.

"I think we're done for the day, anyway. See what she wants."

Harry nodded and shrunk his broom, returning it to the clips on his wrist-holster as he walked over to where Rolanda Hooch was waiting for him.

"Lord Potter…" Rolanda began. "I've been doing some research, and there's _no way_ that you could have escaped from the Dragon that quickly! That broom simply isn't capable of that rate of climb!"

Harry blinked. "It isn't?"

"You managed to pull up at almost _twice_ the vertical acceleration that the Comet K4 is capable of!" Rolanda threw up her hands in exasperation. "How?"

"I… don't really know." Harry admitted, thinking back to the First Task. "I was just trying to get away as fast as possible. Perhaps I accidently poured my own magic into the broomstick to speed it up?"

"To have that effect, it would have quickly overpowered the broomstick's runic arrays, thus rendering it useless if not causing it to explode." Rolanda shook her head. "I don't know _how_ you did it."

"Accidental Magic causing me to become weightless?"

"…that _would_ explain how you managed to hold on." Hooch finally allowed. "I'll think about it. In the meantime, I need to go. Oliver's next lesson in Advanced Broom Design is about to begin. Hopefully, he'll do better than Flint did."

"Flint?" Harry paused, distracted by the comment. "What happened to him?"

"He joined the _Chudley Cannons_!" Hooch huffed as she stalked off. "All that potential… _wasted_!"

* * *

.

"Harry…"

Neville stopped as he stepped into the room and saw Harry jumping into the air, a frown on his face. After his friend repeated the action almost half-a-dozen more times, Neville finally gave in to curiosity.

"Harry, _what_ are you doing?"

Harry paused, then turned to face Neville.

"Hi, Nev. I was trying something out."

"…what?"

Harry glanced past Neville's shoulder and Neville took the hint. Closing the door, he turned back to face Harry. "Well?"

Harry shrugged. "It's something Hooch said and Jor-El confirmed. When I escaped from the dragon, I moved _faster_ than my broomstick was actually capable of and the monitor that I had Jor-El put into my holster reported that it _wasn't_ me boosting the broomstick via my own magic."

"Then what was it?" Neville asked as he moved to his desk where a half-written essay awaited his attention.

"Flight." Harry stated. "I was _flying_."

Neville paused. "…so the jumping…"

"Was me trying to figure out how I did it and learn how to do it on command." Harry confirmed as he started to pace the room. "It's so _aggravating_! I _know_ it's possible, yet I _just can't do it_!"

Neville managed to keep a straight face, although he wanted nothing more than to collapse with laughter as Harry continued to rant, not realizing that he was striding around the room _two feet_ above the carpet!

"I've tried imagining myself lighter, I've tried thinking myself into the air, I've tensed and relaxed pretty much _every_ muscle I have… I've even cast a _Patronus_ on the theory that thinking happy thoughts will help!"

Neville kept silent, using every scrap of his Occlumancy to keep himself from laughing.

"All I've really managed to do is bounce up and down looking like an idiot!" Harry continued. "I haven't even managed to get what people call _hang time_ and… Neville, have you shrunk?"

The bemused curiosity in Harry's question was the final straw and Neville almost collapsed over his desk, laughing so hard that he could almost feel his ribs protesting.

"Neville! What's so funny?"

Gasping for air, Neville managed to point down.

"Huh?"

Harry frowned in confusion, then glanced down… to see that he was hovering above the floor. His eyes widened as he tumbled to the ground, landing in a sprawl. Neville rolled off the desk and landed next to Harry, still wheezing with laughter.

"Not. Funny. Neville."

Neville simply laughed as Harry pouted.

.

"Okay, I _think_ I have it." Harry slowly rose into the air, then drifted forwards before sinking back down to floor level. "Yep. _That_ 's how to do it."

From his chair, Neville watched as Harry once again rose into the air before touching down once more.

"You know that anyone with the belt-and-bracers set that Padfoot and Moony created can do that?" He pointed out and Harry gave him an annoyed glare which turned into a slight smile.

"I think that as long as I wear bracers, people will assume that it's those that are allowing me to fly."

Neville frowned slightly as he considered Harry's idea, matching it with what he knew about how the average Witch and Wizard thought (or in all too many cases, didn't).

"That would probably work." He finally agreed. "How fast do you think you can fly?"

"I was pushing my broomstick straight up fast enough that Hooch noticed." Harry pointed out. "Faster than the Bracers allow. I'll have to be careful."

"You don't want people noticing things are odd about you." Neville agreed.

"I don't want _more_ people noticing things are odd about me." Harry corrected with a smile, then he turned thoughtful. "I'll need to have Jor-El make some special bracers that double as holsters for me."

Neville held out his right arm and looked at the holster strapped to the inside of his forearm. "Good point. Maybe you can contact Lord Black and see if he can design a line of bracers that include mounting points for holsters and watches. Or have them integrated into the bracer."

"That is a _very_ good idea." Harry admitted.

* * *

.

"You know, I was wondering something." Gellert said as he accepted the plate of food that Pettigrew passed to him before the ratlike man bowed himself out of the room, leaving the two Dark Lords alone. "You haven't begun searching for those we can use to make new anchors."

"Because we can't." Voldemort explained as he sprinkled some mint sauce over the roast lamb in front of him, then added a bit more over the potatoes before passing the dish to Gellert. As the older man added the seasoning to his own plate, Voldemort continued his explanation. "After being resurrected using that technique, one must wait for a full year and a day before a new anchor can be created. Doing it earlier than that risks causing a backlash that shatters the soul."

Gellert winced, then frowned. "That explains why _I_ cannot do it… _yet_ , but what about you? You were resurrected via a _Horcrux_ , right?"

Voldemort swallowed the mouthful of potato that he was enjoying before replying. "Correct, but when using the Egyptian method, one can only use it if one does not have an anchor of the same type already in existence."

"Your snake." Gellert realized and Voldemort nodded.

"Indeed. This is another reason that I refuse to move quickly. If the opportunity presents itself, then yes. I will strike. But otherwise? I will act slowly and quietly and when you are able to re-create your anchor once more, then and only then shall we risk venturing beyond our shield of secrecy. Gellert, I do not wish to risk you at this point."

"I have no desire to be risked either." Gellert agreed with a small chuckle.

The duo ate in companionable silence for a while, then once he had swallowed the final bite, Voldemort spoke again.

"How long does that potion need to steep?"

"A full seven moons." Gellert sighed. "But once it is done, we shall have the same speed, strength and resilience as Potter does… _without_ his weakness to magic."

"A permanent boost." Voldemort raised his goblet of wine and held it up in a toast, one that Gellert matched. "There is no good or evil…"

"…only Power and those who are strong enough to seize it." Gellert finished and the two goblets made contact before the Dark Lords laughed in amused triumph.


	23. Quidditch

Ludo Bagman stood on the raised dais and held the microphone up to his lips.

"Ladies and Gentlewizards, respected faculty, boys and girls and honored guests, welcome to the first of the three Tri-Wizard Quidditch Matches! Today we have the Hogwarts School Quidditch Team and the Durmstrang Institute Quidditch Team taking to the field to demonstrate their skills to us all!  
"First to emerge are the Durmstrang Eagles led by Tri-Wizard Champion and world-class Seeker Viktor Krum! Following him are Keeper and Team Captain Piotr Pavlov, the chasers Annika Olsen, Petrine Ahlstrom and Viveka Stolt with the Beaters Laurens Poliakoff and Igor Munter bringing up the rear."

The cheering almost drowned him out, but Ludo forged on.

"The Hogwarts Dragons now take to the field, led by Tri-Wizard Champion and team captain Cedric Diggory, flanked by fellow-Chasers Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley. Behind them are the Seeker Blaise Zabini and the Keeper Harry _Protego_ Potter while the Weasley twins Fred and George bring up the rear, their Beater Bats slung over their shoulders. It's interesting to note that all four Houses of Hogwarts are represented in this team.  
"As the teams move to their starting positions, Diggory and Pavlov land in the middle where Hogwarts Flying Teacher and former professional Quidditch Referee Rolanda Hooch joins them, carrying the box with the balls. The captains shake hands and mount their brooms, Pavlov heading for the Bulgarina's Hoops while Diggory joins Malfoy and Weasley in the air, facing off against the all-female Bulgarian Chasers. Hooch opens the box… And there goes the Golden Snitch! The Bludgers are next and Hooch picks up the Quaffle as she launches herself into the air. She throws the Quaffle… and Weasley snatches it almost from Stolt's hand! Stolt in hot pursuit as Weasley _Mows the Lawn_ then pulls up into a _Rising Hawk_ , catching Stolt and Ahlstrom by surprise! Malfoy and Diggory fly past her and… it was a Ghost Pass! Pavlov blocks Diggory but it was Malfoy who had the Quaffle! Ten-zero to Hogwarts in the first minute!"

.

Krum growled in annoyed respect at how Pavlov had been decoyed, then returned to looking for the Snitch. Assuming Potter was even half as good as people claimed, Krum was the only chance Durmstrang had of claiming victory in this match and he had to do it fast.

If not… it would be the World Cup all over again.

.

"For a team that has only practised together a few times, they are rather good." Theseus admitted as he watched the match, a large bowl of popcorn cradled in one arm.

"They've played against each other quite often, so they already knew each others tricks." Minerva replied with a slight shrug. "It's Zabini who's the odd one out, but as a Seeker, it usually doesn't matter that… _Great Merlin_!"

Krum's swoop had caused Diggory and Malfoy to peel off from their attempted interception of Olsen who blasted past, Quaffle held tightly in one arm.

"… _and Olsen loops up and to the left as Poliakoff and Munter do a Bludger Barricade with Potter on the wrong hoop! Olsen shoots… and Potter deflects it with a Bludger Block! Malfoy grabs the Quaffle and goes high with Olsen in pursuit…"_

Theseus' jaw dropped as Harry grabbed the bludger, spun and threw it at over twice its original speed at the Quaffle, sending the second ball away from the Hoop and denying Durmstrang the ten points it was aiming for.

"Perhaps the Seeker's teamwork is more important that you thought, _oui_?" Olympe smirked.

"Perhaps it is." Minerva admitted. "Perhaps it is."

.

"Go, Hogwarts!" Sirius bounced up and down in his chair in excitement.

"You really are still a child, aren't you?" Narcissa rolled her eyes as she helped herself to her cousin's popcorn.

"Hey, you accepted my invitation, remember?" Sirius laughed, then he cheered as Harry swung one-handed from his Broomstick to kick the Quaffle straight into Ginny's hand.

"Please try to act a _little_ more like an adult." Narcissa sighed as she leaned back regally in her chair, only to jump to her feet with a yell of joy as Draco slipped the Quaffle past Pavlov to score yet another ten points.

"Like you just did?" Sirius snickered and Narcissa flopped back into her seat with a sniff of disdain.

.

Viktor looked round almost frantically for the Snitch. If he didn't catch it before Hogwarts scored twice more then Durmstrang would lose…

His thoughts froze as the Hogwarts Seeker glanced over at Potter, who motioned to the base of the hoops at the Durmstrang end. Blaise promptly accelerated downwards, his movements showing that he was looking for the Snitch but hadn't actually spotted it and Krum peered ahead, quickly seeing the golden glimmer in the shadow of the leftmost post. Flattening himself against his broom, Krum pushed his Firebolt to its limit, the wind howling past him as he aimed directly for the Snitch, one hand already stretched out as he aimed for it.

.

Cedric's eyes widened as Krum rocketed past, his eyes fixed on the Snitch. A frantic glance down showed that Blaise had also spotted it as well and was accelerating as fast as he could.

.

Blaise put every ounce of effort he could into closing in on the glittering winged sphere fluttering around the base of the pole. The golden ball seemed to leap towards him, then it was cast in shadow as his shoulder erupted in agony.

.

Krum curved round, heading for the Snitch. He reached out to grab it, then the world briefly turned white with pain.

.

"By Merlin's staff!" Bagman shouted in amazement. "Krum and Zabini are both down! Both down, but it looks like… could it be? Hooch is landing beside them now and… The match is over and it's a _Double Catch_! Krum covered half again the distance to try and get there first, but both Seekers grabbed it at the same instant! That's a hundred and fifty points to _both_ teams, meaning that the final score is Durmstrang, one hundred and fifty, Hogwarts, _two_ hundred and ninety! If Krum had been half a second faster, Durmstrang would have won but instead, Hogwarts wins the first of the Interschool Matches!

"Madam Pomphrey is now on the pitch, casting spells at the Seekers' arms… the Seekers are both being taken to the Medical Office, it looks Zabini's shoulder was dislocated while Krum may have sprained his, but what a match and what an _incredible_ finish!"

* * *

.

"I should have gone for the Firebolt after all." Zabini grumbled.

"Probably." Draco agreed from where he was sitting beside the hospital bed that Blaise was occupying. "You could have afforded it."

"Would have saved me from _this_." Blaise used his uninjured arm to indicate the bandages swathing his right shoulder from neck to elbow. "Apparently I have at least _three_ fractures. I _hate_ Skelegrow."

"Consider it a learning experience." Professor Snape drawled from the doorway, causing both boys to look up in surprise. "On the other hand, Professor Slughorn and myself have finished reformulating the Skelegrow potion to work faster and less painfully. Since you are here, you might as well benefit from our research."

"How bad does _this_ version taste?" Blaise asked, eyeing the small bottle in Snape's hand with suspicion.

"It shouldn't taste any worse than the regular potion." Snape glided over to stand beside the bed, his cloak flaring dramatically. "You did well, Zabini."

"I was lucky." Blaise snorted. " _Potter_ gave me our victory. I didn't even _see_ the Snitch until I'd covered over half the distance to it. If Krum had been any closer to it…"

"It does not matter." Snape said firmly. "You did it, that is what counts. It is unbecoming to lose sight of what _is_ in favour of what _might have been_. What _is_ important is that you heal and prepare for your next match. At least _Mademoiselle_ Peltier isn't as good as Mister Krum."

"I don't think _anyone's_ as good as Krum." Zabini admitted as Poppy bustled over. "I'm certainly not."

"He is considered one of the top three best seekers in the world." Draco shrugged as Madam Pomphrey gave Blaise the bottle of reformulated Skelegrow.

"Da, is true." A new voice said and everyone turned to see Krum standing in the doorway, a thin layer of bandages visible through the half-buttoned robe he was wearing. "Krum is best Seeker in Bulgaria. Train very hard to be so. So understand, Krum not being nasty when Krum say this, you have potential to be good as Krum, but you have no drive to be so. Without drive, talent not enough to be best. You have choice. Practice hard every day and get better broom, very good chance you be flying in next World Cup. Practise just hard enough to beat Beauxbaton, Quidditch not be career. Choice is yours. Krum be watching to see what you do."

Viktor turned to leave the room, then paused in the doorway.

"Potter on other hand, best Keeper Krum ever seen. Shame he not Bulgarian. Would have won World Cup easy if Potter been on team."

Viktor vanished and Blaise yawned.

"What was in that potion? It tasted of… butterbeer?"

"When did he drink that?" Draco whispered to his Head of House.

"After Krum finished critiquing him."

"…oh."

Draco made to rise, only to pause as Blaise shook his head. Settling back down, he waited until Madam Pomphrey had run several more scans and departed, Snape having left quietly as she waved her wand over Blaise. Once they were alone, Draco raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"You wanted to ask me something?"

"I heard a rumor that it was you who landed Flint his job with the Cannons." Blaise replied before stifling a yawn. "Why the Cannons?"

"First, it was the easiest." Draco looked out of the window, marshaling his thoughts. "Several of the Cannons owed my father a lot of money. I agreed to reduce the amount. Secondly, Coach Henderson is retiring soon. By maneuvering Flint into position to take over, I have given him a boost in his career. Third, although you may have missed it, the Cannons actually _won_ a game yesterday evening."

Blaise sat up in shock, staring at Draco. "…what?"

"The Cannons have finally won a game." Draco confirmed. "As part of the deal, I arranged for the Cannons to get their brooms replaced and then I had them analysed. The ones they had been using were fakes, broomsticks that looked like the models that they purported to be, but under performed by up to a fifth. I've already alerted the DMLE and they are investigating."

Blaise carefully settled back down. "So… it wasn't just the Cannons being idiots?"

"No." Draco confirmed. " _Someone_ was trying to keep them down. If not for their fans, they would have probably disbanded a decade ago and since their stadium is on some prime wizarding estate…"

"Huh. Any idea who's behind it?"

"No." Draco shook his head. "All that I do know is that it _wasn't_ my father…"

* * *

.

Theodore Nott punched his pillow and threw the _Daily Prophet_ onto the ground. Snarling, he stamped on the newspaper several times, then threw himself into the armchair that he liked to use when contemplating events or planning ahead.

With the death of his father at the hands of one of Potter's friends, Theo had inherited the files detailing the plans that his father had put into effect, including the one that would have allowed him to purchase the Chudley Cannon's Stadium and the former quarry that it was built in, a quarry which the Muggles had abandoned a century ago after assuming it was worked out, but which actually had a large deposit of MageQuartz just under the northern side, potentially worth a fortune as raw materials for Wardstones and magic-storing gems for various magical trinkets.

And the Muggles had in their usual ignorance dismissed it as an odd bubble of Quartz and Fool's Gold.

The contacts that his father had used as part of his scheme to become richer than the Malfoys had all died when Potter had done that magic-nullifying thing of his with the final two being slain during the so-called _Liberation of Hogwarts_.

As a result, he had no-one in position to help him claim the wealth that only he knew about.

Theo closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead as he fought to calm himself.

No-one else knew about the MageQuartz either.

Once he graduated, he would find a way to claim that wealth for himself.

And finally, he would be superior to that blond-haired bastard he had to work with.


	24. Making Arrangements

"Hey, pup. Got a minute?"

Harry looked round in surprise as Sirius stepped into the Clubroom. From where he was helping several Hufflepuffs and a Slytherin with a potions essay, Professor Slughorn looked up and nodded in greeting to Lord Black.

"Sure." Harry quickly finished the sentence on transfiguration that he was writing, then put the parchment into a folder and slipped it into the expanded bag he used to carry his work around in. "Umm… Ginny, can you…"

"Look after your stuff?" The redhead finished without looking up from the charms essay she was writing. "Sure."

"Thanks." Harry slid the bag to under Ginny's chair, where she absently hooked the strap around her ankle. Tucking the chair back under the table, Harry headed to join his godfather.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here." Harry admitted as they started to stroll down the corridor.

"Well, I've been checking around and I've just come from a meeting with Frank and Alice. They're fine with it, but… any chance that _I_ could host the Christmas Ball?"

"You have a garden to use?" Harry asked and Sirius chuckled.

"I was thinking of possibly using one of my islands. Oh, not the one where our former adversaries are, one of the others… although it would help if I could borrow that tent you used."

"I don't see a problem with that." Harry shrugged. "How are you thinking of getting everyone to the island?"

"Probably rotating doors." Sirius grinned. "Just like the ones linking Tegg's Nose, Diagon and Hogsmeade. In this case, it's my mansion, Blackwolf HQ and Hawaii. Lovely place to visit and I've got a deal with MACUSA, I can have anyone I want on the island but if I or my guests want to visit the mainland, we have a special Switching Room to use so that they can keep track of who's where."

"Makes sense." Harry mused. "So, your guests will be able to go freely between the island and the mansion… and evening here will be almost noon _there_ …"

"Sun, sand…" Sirius grinned mischievously. "Full-size recessed Quidditch pitch, broomstick course… I've given thought to setting up a Veela Colony there too."

Harry frowned for a moment. "Well, I guess that you'd want help keeping the Quidditch pitch maintained…"

Sirius face-palmed. "…sure. Let's go with that. Anyway, part of the reason I'm asking is because I'm having the island turned into a resort. After visiting the Muggle parks Alton Towers and Busch Gardens… that new ride of theirs was _incredible_ , I must have gone on the Kumba-thing at least six times… _ahem_. Yeah, I had some muggleborn and muggle-raised employees turn the island into something similar. There are five Muggle-style roller-coasters there, a swimming area with rune-enhanced water slides and safety spells… we tested it. If you're about to drown, the safety runes turn your swimsuit into a portkey that drops you into the medical area. Fortunately, since it's such a short trip, you barely start to spin before you land. We have a Quidditch pitch… I've already said that, haven't I?"

"So, you've turned your island into a giant playground." Harry summarized and Sirius started to look affronted before laughing.

"Yeah, I have. At the moment, it's for Blackwolf employees and their families only... the parts that are completed, anyway, but after Christmas, we'll be opening it up to paying customers and connecting it to the smaller park I'm having constructed just outside Hogsmeade which is also where the Ball will be held. A new Switching Room will have been installed there by the end of term and we're expanding a cave to hold at least half of the planned… I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"You are." Harry confirmed.

"… _so_." Sirius clapped his hands. "Christmas ball and entertainment on the Island for anyone who wants. Sounds good, yes?"

"It's certainly going to be a hard act to follow." Harry confirmed and Sirius smirked.

.

"Mr Longbottom, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, Miss Weasley."

The four students looked up in surprise as Flitwick quickly cast a privacy spell around their table.

"Professor." Neville replied as the other three looked at him in confusion. "If you're after Harry, you just missed him…"

"Actually, I was specifically waiting for him to leave with Lord Black." Filius admitted as he clambered onto one of the chairs. "At the start of February, the second Task will take place…"

"You need one of us to volunteer to be rescued by Harry." Hermione deduced and Flitwick nodded.

"Absolutely correct, Miss Granger. Minerva asked Ponoma and myself to deal with it."

"Can I volunteer?" Ginny asked, then she blushed as all eyes turned to her.

"You can indeed." Filius smiled, then he cocked his head inquisitively. "May I ask why?"

Ginny's blush grew darker and Luna fought down an attack of the giggles.

"Ginny used to enjoy all the _Boy-who-lived_ stories." Hermione finally interjected and Ginny nodded, her face almost as red as her hair.

"I shall not probe any further." Filius smiled as he held his hands up. "Thank you for volunteering, Miss Weasley."

Ginny nodded as Flitwick jumped down off the chair and walked away.

"Before we became your penfriends, Ginny liked to imagine herself as Ginny _Potter_. She even planned the wedding." Luna chirped and Ginny's fading blush returned full force before she lunged at her best friend, knocking them both to the floor. Hermione sighed as she rose to pick up the toppled chairs, making a point of ignoring Luna who was laughing while trying to escape the bear that had caught her in a firm embrace and was not going to let go any time soon.

* * *

.

Gellert looked around curiously as he and Voldemort blinked into existence.

"Where are we?"

"Just on the other side of the mountain from Hogwarts." Voldemort said as he started to walk towards a ruined cottage that was overgrown with ivy. "This cottage was used by the Founders as a place to shelter as they began building Hogwarts. According to Salazar's writings, they hated sharing the same two-roomed building which is why Hogwarts has so many rooms, towers and hallways. Nevertheless, Salazar took advantage of living here to place a magical beacon, which he then used when he oversaw the building of the foundations and the construction of the Chamber of Secrets."

"A magical beacon?" Gellert inquired as he stepped through the gap in the knee-high wall that had once been a doorway. "Why?"

"Because he still feared what would happen if the Muggles found out where Hogwarts was and sent an army." Voldemort replied as he stopped in front of the wreckage of the fireplace. Pausing to use a small spell to banish the accumulated dirt, he looked at the stone that he had revealed, one with an odd swirl of color that resembled a snake. As Gellert watched, Voldemort hissed at the stone which responded by pivoting up even as the ground before it sank to form a staircase.

"The tunnel is shorter on the inside than it is on the outside." Voldemort noted as he led the way down, his wand glowing with a wordless _lumos_. "I took the opportunity to check the rune-work and it's remarkably similar to the runes that make the Astronomy Tower taller at the top than it is at the base."

Gellert nodded as the rough-hewn stone suddenly gave way to carved blocks a yard or more on each side. Ahead of them, the two stones blocking the tunnel retracted into the walls, revealing a long, dark hall lined with pillars and with a looming statue at the end.

"I see that Nott has indeed unlocked the passage." Voldemort nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent."

"Why didn't we use this tunnel the last time?" Gellert asked curiously and Voldemort chuckled.

"I was keeping it in reserve in case I needed to flee without using the Cabinet." He explained. "You, I and Nott are the only ones who know about this tunnel and once I get the chance, I will _Obliviate_ Nott of the knowledge so that he cannot accidentally let slip the secret. From here, pipes go throughout the entire school, pipes charmed so that a snake of any size can pass through them."

"Your _Animagi_ form!" Gellert realized and Voldemort nodded.

"Indeed. Without that, I would only have had access to the two standard entrances."

"Could Peter use the tunnels too?" Gellert asked and Voldemort frowned.

"In theory, yes, but the teachers here have access to spells that can detect and track him inside the castle. It is best not to risk it."

Gellert gave a slow nod of reluctant agreement.

"And if you have that monitoring spell anchored, I can place it inside the Wardstone Chamber." Voldemort prompted. "It will let us analyze the new wards… and see where the weak points are."

"I have it here." Gellert pulled a small, filigree sphere out of his belt-pouch as Voldemort shrank into his snake form. "So long as it is in the chamber, it will work."

The many-banded Krait before him nodded, then took the sphere in its mouth before slithering off through a small hole that seemed to expand to allow it through. Gellert watched the tail vanish into the darkness, then leaned against one of the pillars as he waited for his ally to return.

It was times like this that he regretted having the form of a large bird. While looking down from above was satisfying, it was rather limited in what it could do without attracting attention.

* * *

.

"Miss Weasley has volunteered for the Second Task." Filius announced as he almost bounced into the Teachers Room.

"As has Miss Chang." Ponoma Sprout added from where she was pouring herself a cup of herbal tea.

"Why would she come to you?" Filius asked, then he face-palmed. "I'm sorry, I phrased that very badly. Let me try again. Given that Miss Chang is in _my_ House, I fail to understand why she would not come to _me_ to volunteer."

"Simple." Ponoma chuckled. "Young Diggory is in _my_ House. She had him confirm their relationship. Poor lad was redder than a Clabbert's warning."

Flitwick wasn't the only one to chuckle at the comparison.

"If it helps, the other two Champions also have selected those that they are to rescue." Remus Lupin supplied from the corner where he was using a stylus to write on one of the now-near-ubiquitus computer-pads that Evans Enterprises had released onto the market. "For Krum, it's Annika Olsen… she was the Chaser who pulled off that shot which _almost_ got past Harry. For Delacour, it's her younger sister who will be coming over in time for the Christmas Ball and staying over. I've already assigned several classrooms for her and her tutors, should they need more space than available in that carriage of theirs."

"You really _are_ good at this sort of stuff." Filius noted with respect infusing his voice.

"Shame that I'm resigning at the end of the year." Remus looked up from what he was working on. "Blackwolf Industries is expanding and Sirius is starting to lose ground, even _with_ his other helpers. He always was an ideas man, but whenever he tried to follow through…"

Remus shrugged and returned to his work.

* * *

.

Nott was looking far more smug than Draco had ever seen him be before.

Draco managed not to frown at the confirmation that Nott had succeeded in whichever task their Lord had set for them, but it was a close thing. Instead, he simply continued back to his room and sat down, pulling out a sheet of parchment and a quill. Dipping the quill into the ink-well, he began to write.

_Observations about Lord Potter_

_Continued from previous post._

_My sources indicate that this year, it is to be Lord Black who is hosting  
_ _the Christmas Ball at a location near Hogsmeade of which I have as yet  
_ _been unable to determine._

_Rumor has it that the Second Task is a hostage-rescue mission taking  
_ _place in the Black Lake in February. I am still collecting details and will  
_ _relay them as I confirm or disprove them._

_As of this time, there are no new people around Potter with whom he  
_ _has developed further bonds…_

The quill glided across the sheet as Draco put his notes down.

.

"Malfoy's giving us an update!"

Barty Jr finished feeding Nagini and replaced the top of the tank before moving to join Pettigrew. The ratlike man was scribbling notes as his gaze darted between his notepad and the elegant handwriting showing on the mirror.

"Nott's just messing around." Barty said disapprovingly as he looked at the second mirror.

"Doesn't really matter at the moment." Peter shrugged. "Draco's picking up the slack very well."

"He is indeed." Voldemort said from the doorway. "I am very proud of him. At this rate, he will prove even more useful to me than his father ever was… I would stay and read his report, but I have a side-project that I wish to see to. Please inform Gellert that I may be a week or so."

"Yes, my Lord."


	25. Conversations

"I'll _kill_ him!" Hermione growled as she stalked into the Ravenclaw common room. "Harry, I know how much he means to you, but he! Is! DEAD!"

Harry and Neville gave each other bemused looks, then Harry lowered the book he was reading.

"Hermione, what are you talking about?"

"Sirius, that's who!" Hermione snarled. "Bastard published my essay!"

"…essay?" Harry asked cautiously as Hermione stomped around the room, not noticing how everyone was almost frantically getting out of her way.

"Essay!" Hermione waved a fist in the air, then started to parody Sirius. " _Oh, Hermione, Charity showed me the memory of the argument you made during her turn helping out with your homework club. You remember? The one where you declared that the Wizarding World was safer now than ever before. Is there any chance you could write that up for me? It sounds interesting._ Of course, Lord Black. I'd be happy to. _Thank you. I'm sure it will be very educational._ Damn the man!"

Harry shook his head as he put his book down and rose from his chair. "I don't follow."

"He sent me a copy with a thank-you note!"

Harry paused mid-stride as he blinked in confusion. "…isn't that a good thing?"

"HE PUBLISHED IT IN _PLAYWITCH_!" Hermione shrieked into Harry's face.

"…okay… erm, Hermione… could you put me down please?"

Hermione blinked, then blushed as she realized that she was pinning Harry against one of the wall-mounted bookcases by his robes.

"…sorry." She mumbled as she lowered him back to the floor and released his lapels. Harry twitched his robe straight, then gently placed one hand across Hermione's shoulders and led her to the couch where he had been sitting.

"It isn't as bad as you think." Neville piped up. "Sure, they still do those pictures, but the articles are very interesting…"

Neville trailed off as Hermione half-turned to glare at him while Harry tried and failed to hide his laughter as a cough.

* * *

.

"It should be held at Hogwarts!" Bagman stomped around the classroom that had been repurposed as part of the suite of offices for those overseeing the (rather inaccurately named) Tri-Wizard Tournament. "How could Black…"

"Save us a great deal of money?" Crouch interjected and Bagman froze. "It was a simple matter to persuade him to fold the Tri-Wizard Ball into the one he is hosting, although it was rather tricky setting things up so that he thinks that it was _his_ idea in the first place."

"But… why?" Bagman asked almost plaintively. "It's a brilliant chance to show off Hogwarts to the other schools…"

"But a better chance to show off the expansions of Hogsmeade to the world." Crouch countered. "When Tegg's Nose re-opened, tourists from other countries began to visit, bringing money with them. The Ministry is in negotiation with Evans Industries for a transport hub that will link to other countries, making it easier and faster for those who live abroad to visit our nation and bring their money with them. Money which helps to pay our wages, Ludo."

Ludo sullenly sat down. "But… the Ball…"

"Ludo, it is under control." Bartemius said as reassuringly as he could. "It will be bigger than we could have hosted here and Lord Black has invited all the pupils of Hogwarts and their families as well as all the visiting pupils and _their_ families! To do that ourselves would have cost a fortune in food alone, let alone transportation and security. As it is, I have assigned my assistant to aid Lord Back in setting things up, Percy will make certain that all goes according to plan."

Bagman gave him an expression that on anyone younger could easily have been described as a pout.

"Lord Black has also informed me that there will be Broomstick Races and even a chance of Quidditch." Crouch added. "If you have not let your skills slip, perhaps you could demonstrate those skills that made you the greatest Beater ever to fly in the black and yellow?"

Ludo's expression blanked for a moment. "I… think most of the rust has gone…"

"And the Beaters of the four Houses have improved quite a bit under your guidance." Crouch complimented Bagman, hiding a sigh as he saw how such obvious flattery caused the other man to brighten up.

* * *

.

"Playwitch?" Voldemort asked as he entered the living room. "I didn't expect you to be a reader of it."

"While the pictures hold little appeal for me, save for their artistic merits, some of the articles are very interesting." Gellert replied without looking up from the magazine that he was perusing. "That article on the negative consequences of excessive inbreeding was quite an eye-opener. Apparently mental retardation is one of the more common outcomes, but having Squib offspring becomes more common with each generation, the risk becoming quite high if a family goes more than four generations without an infusion of fresh blood, whether Muggle or Muggleborn."

"That must have caused quite a stir." Voldemort chuckled and Gellert nodded to the rack in the corner.

"The article in question is in the September issue. They had to have a special section for the resulting letters written to them in the October issue and again in this one."

Voldemort ambled to the rack and a moment later, pulled out the first two issues of Playwitch in question. Moving to the silver-and-green armchair, he sat down and opened the first magazine, then quickly leafed through it.

"By the way, what are you reading about?" He asked as he reached the article that he had been looking for.

"It's about the continued effectiveness of the Statute of Secrecy and how the recent advances in magical technology have synergised with those in the Muggle World to help protect those of us who use magic. Our conversation a while ago was accurate, but it seems we overlooked a few facts."

Voldemort looked up from the magazine. "Really?"

"It's very well written and logically consistent, but it does tell me that I may have underestimated the resourcefulness of those without magic." Gellert confirmed. "Apparently it was written by a Hogwarts student. If I manage to find out who he or she is, I do believe it would be worth trying to recruit them."

Voldemort gave him a measuring look, then returned to reading the article that Gellert had recommended. "I must say, had I known about this when I was contemplating my first rise to power, I would have set things up quite differently. It certainly explains why so many of my original followers were outright morons, though. I had assumed that it was cultural."

"You were partially right." Gellert chuckled.

The duo read in silence for almost quarter of an hour, then Gellert chuckled darkly.

"Incredible. Just… incredible."

Voldemort gave a _hmm_ of query but didn't look up from what he was reading.

"The recent advances in our world mean that Wizards are far less likely to give themselves away in the Muggle world and given the increased amount of entertainment which we have available to us now, only those who have a true reason to go there _will_ do so. You were right… but not quite for the reasons you thought."

"So… the idea is that by making Wizards more Muggle-like, it keeps us apart from them better?" Voldemort frowned. "That seems rather counter-intuitive."

"Yet apparently the need for Obliviators has decreased by almost three-quarters since the re-opening of Tegg's Nose, according to the Editorial." Gellert mused. "We may need to rethink at least some of our plan given the societal changes."

Voldemort looked up. "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"I find myself wondering just how much young Malfoy would like to become Minister."

"That would take quite a few years." Voldemort pointed out. "He will have to come of age first."

Gellert nodded with a smirk. "Yes, but with us backing and directing him from behind the scenes… maybe he should become an Auror first. It would allow him to counter many of our more expendable plots, thus increasing his fame and within a decade and some careful assassinations, he would be the leader of the DMLE from where it would be a simple jump to Minister."

"A good plan from Draco's viewpoint." Voldemort slowly agreed. "But how would we keep him in line? He is showing some hints that he may have a rather… _concerning_ amount of independent thought."

"If all else fails, you still have your snake." Gellert pointed out and Voldemort stared at him in confusion before slowly starting to grin.

"Yes. Yes, I do…"

"There is no rush." Gellert returned the grin. "After all… we have all the time in the world… Of course, we will still need to get rid of Potter, he's a very unpredictable person and that would not be good for our eventual supremacy."

"Then it's a good thing that we have access to Hogwarts, isn't it?" Voldemort replied before tilting his head. "How goes the potion?"

"Another few months yet for it to be permanent." Gellert sighed. "Sadly, we will not be ready by the Second Task."

"But the third will allow us to remove the largest obstacle in our path." Voldemort gloated.

"It will indeed." Gellert agreed. "It will indeed. By the way, that project you are working on?"

"Is coming along very well." Voldemort replied smugly. "Soon, I will show you the fruits of my work, but for now…"

"I understand." Gellert nodded. "I shall await it with baited breath."

* * *

.

"So, what do you think so far?" Sirius asked and Harry paused to look downhill at the majority of the park which was surrounding by boarding that was due to be removed.

"It's good." He finally admitted. "Opening a branch of MageDonalds will help attract people and having the rides available for only a few Knuts each or a one-Sickle all-day pass was inspired."

"Remus suggested renting out plots for other food stalls, restaurants and accessory shops." Sirius admitted. "I expect to at least break even with this part alone."

Harry nodded in agreement, then turned away from the fairground to the archway and booths leading to a two-level Switching chamber that had a wider third level from which a set of tracks emerged, tracks that arced out to enclose the fairground before ending underneath the Switching Tower.

"Why…?" Harry pointed at the short tower and Sirius grinned.

"It's a one-way system. Each side, you enter on the lower level and come out on the other tower's upper level, giving you a good view as you head down the walkway. Having it one way means that you can get far more people through since they're not trying to push each other out of the way."

"And the tracks?"

"Rollercoaster that starts on the Island." Sirius chuckled. "No need to climb a long slope like Muggle coasters, just roll forwards into a tube, come out there, zoom round the fairground and into a second tube that takes you back to the platform. Not needing the climbing slope means that the ride can be even more exciting, although one of the five coasters on the island still has the Chain Drive since it does help enhance the experience a bit."

"That is… wow." Harry admitted. "I never thought of doing something like that."

"The coasters have an extra Switching Tube that allows us to add extra trains or take them to the garage for maintenance." Sirius added. "You want to try the coasters out?"

Harry laughed as Sirius led them through the Switching Room, then he paused as he took in the newly-revealed vista in front of him.

"Welcome to Regulas Park." Sirius stated, his normal jocularity in abeyance as he waved one hand. "I decided to name it after my brother. I think he would have appreciated it."

Harry nodded as he looked across the island. Although he could only see half of it due to their position halfway up the central island, the park itself was obviously well laid out with sections devoted to different themes and several groupings of buildings as well as a stone-clad tower rising from a formal garden set so it was a few meters above the surrounding area.

"That's the Peacock's Range." Sirius noted, having seen where Harry was looking. "'Cissa asked if she could invest and the Range is linked to the Peacock's Nest back in Tegg's Nose. Being a member of the Peacock's Rest now includes a family ticket for spouse and children, although I'm not sure how many of the surviving Dark families will use it since it would involve mixing with the rabble. The gardens themselves are accessible only via the tower or a special gate and have runic pillars around them to cut down on noise."

"And probably keep the peacocks from wandering off." Harry noted as he spotted several albino peacocks strutting around.

"That too." Sirius chuckled. "So, at the moment, the staff are settling in, learning their duties and making sure that everything's up and running."

A whooshing sound interrupted Sirius and Harry turned to see a set of empty roller-coaster zooming down a set of tracks that led underneath the walkway, emerging on the other side to loop up and over the Switching Tower.

"That one's the Firebolt." Sirius supplied with a grin. "The Broomstick Companies Comet, Nimbus and Spudmore Sticks were happy to meet some of the costs in exchange for helping design the coasters. All three companies have stores located just by the boarding areas of the coasters in question which also happen to be beside the Quidditch Pitch."

"Neat." Harry admitted as he watched the now-distant coaster go through a double-spiral and an Immelmann. "Can we try it out?"

"Of course we can." Sirius laughed. "This way!"

"Why not use broomsticks to get there?" Harry asked, one hand moving to his wrist-holster.

"Only special broomsticks and Auror flight sets work on the Island except at the Quidditch Pitch and the racetrack." Sirius stated. "Safety reasons… imaging what would happen if someone flew too close to one of the coasters. Better that everyone remain grounded… how are you doing that?"

Harry grinned as he floated ahead of his shocked godfather.

"Harry! How? Harry!"


	26. End Of Term

Once again, the Great Hall boasted two extra tables for the visiting schools and three banners hung over the Teacher's Table.

"…and Lord Black asked me to report on the Ball in the Quibbler!" Luna bubbled. "It's such an honor to be the official reporter!"

"What about Skeeter?" Neville frowned as he stabbed his last potato with his fork. "I thought I heard that she was attending too…"

"She is." Luna's cheery mood vanished almost instantaneously, then her grin reappeared. "But there are going to be quite a few Veela there. Skeeter _hates_ Veela, especially after what Fleur did to her."

Harry managed not to laugh at the memory of a singed Rita being pulled out of the lake, although Hermione wasn't quite as successful at hiding her amusement.

"Exactly why did Sirius ask to host it?" Ginny asked, earning several looks. "What? Have you heard the number of rumors going around? That huge boarded-off area up at Hogsmead with an illusion over it so if anyone tries to look at it from the air, they see dancing cows? Ones that sing an odd song about phenomena?"

"Sirius has a _strange_ sense of humor." Neville chuckled.

"I've seen what's there and I think everyone will enjoy it." Harry said, earning a number of quizzical glances from everyone close enough to overhear. "It's officially opening to the general public on Boxing Day and it'll be open twenty-four hours a day. I know Sirius has hired several vampires to oversee the night shift."

"…makes sense." Hermione finally admitted, then she looked at Ginny. "What?"

"Sorry, but… I was raised to think that if I misbehaved too badly, a Vampire would come and suck all my blood out." Ginny shivered. "Having them as suddenly being almost equal to Wizards and _not_ trying to feed off everyone is… hard to get used to."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again as a ringing sound echoed through the Hall. Half-turning on her bench, she watched as Headmistress McGonagall put down the small spoon that she had tapped the glass goblet with to attract everyone's attention.

"Tomorrow, many of you are going home for the holidays to be with your friends, families and loved ones." She began with a slight, wistful smile on her face. "As such, there are a few announcements that I feel I must make at this point.  
"First, I would like to thank all of the Hogwarts students for going out of their way to make our visitors feel welcome. Your actions have done far more to bring our schools closer than you may realize.  
"Secondly, I would like to announce that due to certain requests, a heated swimming area will be being added over the holidays, one that will be available for use when you return. It will be connected to the lake outside, so expect to see Merfolk using the facilities as well. Safety Runes as developed by Blackwolf Industries will be installed to ensure that no-one drowns, but I must stress that skinny-dipping is _not_ allowed. If you wish to swim, then swimming outfits _must_ be worn.  
"Third and finally, all of you have received invitations to the Christmas Ball hosted by Lord Black. Although attendance is optional, the dress code is formal for those of you who choose to attend.  
"And now, let us have pudding."

As Minerva sat down, a number of sweet dishes appeared on the tables.

"So many puddings…" Luna marveled as she stared wide-eyed at the veritable cornucopia arrayed before her.

* * *

.

" _Welcome back, sir."_ Jor-El said as Harry stepped out of the Switching Room. _"I have taken the liberty of modifying your wardrobe so that your clothes still fit."_

"Thanks, Jor-El." Harry shrugged off his over-robe. "Can you set up the standard Chaser evasion drills on the Pitch?"

Jor'El's hologram appeared, allowing him to raise a querying eyebrow. _"Sir, wouldn't the standard_ Keeper _Maneuvering Drills be more useful?"_

"Not this time." Harry shook his head. "Oh, and don't worry about pulling out a broomstick for me."

Jor-El's image froze and Harry hid a grin at having managed to temporarily flummox the AI.

.

Stepping onto the pitch, Harry looked round at the dozen floating pseudo-Bludgers (which were controlled by Jor-El), then he stretched, the movements causing his sleeves and trouser legs to briefly ride up, showing that he wasn't wearing the belt/bracer/greaves flight set that Blackwolf Industries was selling.

"Alright, Jor-El." Harry bounced up and down on his toes. "We'll start at level one and go from there."

All but one of the Bludgers retreated to the walls and the final Bludger moved away from him before reversing course.

" _Sir, I must ask what…"_

Jor-El's voice stopped mid-sentence as Harry leapt over the Bludger… and remained in the air.

"Better activate the crash-fields around the edge." Harry mused as he side-slipped to allow the Bludger to pass by harmlessly. "I'm not entirely certain just how maneuverable I am and I don't want to leave craters."

" _Protective fields have been activated, sir."_ Jor-El stated as rows of small lights lit the lower and upper edges of the side walls. _"Requesting permission to activate full scanning systems."_

"You probably want to know how I'm doing this almost as much as I do." Harry laughed as he spiralled out of the Bludger's way. "This is too easy. Kick it up a level."

The Bludger bouncing around the pitch was joined by a second one and Harry began to fly around the pitch, adjusting course to avoid the projectiles whenever they got near him.

"Bring out the rings as well, let's see just how well I can fly."

" _Yes, sir."_

* * *

.

"Welcome back." Gellert looked at his fellow Dark Lord with a quizzical expression. "From your expression, you are ready to show me what you were working on."

Voldemort nodded with a triumphant smirk. "I am indeed. _Come_!"

An armoured figure strode in through the doorway and Gellert rose from his chair. Stepping forwards, he slowly circled the new arrival as it stood to attention.

"Interesting armor… odd, the helmet is welded shut… _and_ welded to the breastplate. Must make it difficult to remove… the limbs are oddly proportioned, too skinny for their length… long blades mounted on the fingers… and those are truly _fascinating_ runes engraved on the armor."

"I admit to having been inspired by the suits of armor at Hogwarts." Voldemort admitted. "Legend has it that they will act to defend Hogwarts should the Headmaster or Headmistress command it."

"I have heard the same legend." Gellert noted as he leaned closer to the armored figure for a better look, then he sniffed and jolted back.

" _Inferi_!"

"Very good." Voldemort chuckled. "Yes, I used an Inferi as the basis for this new tool. I do have a large number of them at my disposal, after all, especially since the task I had intended to use them for no longer applies."

"…Inferi attack anything that lives…" Gellert started circling the armored figure again, but this time staying carefully out of reach and keeping one hand ready to pull his wand. "They cannot be controlled, only herded…"

"Inferi are sustained by magic and the rage against the living that infuses them." Voldemort agreed. "However, there is _hot_ rage and _cold_ rage. I have used special runes in the helmet to turn the rage into the latter and added control runes, ones that make these armoured monsters obey those who carry these medallions."

Gellert accepted the medallion that Voldemort held out and slipped it into his pocket.

"So… these iron beasts of yours?" He prompted.

"This one is only a proof of concept, but by the time that your potion is completed, I will have created several hundred of them." Voldemort gloated. "The armor contains shielding and warding runes, no direct spell will be able to affect them. Fire and ice will have no effect and their gauntlets will be able to shatter shields with a single strike. Their claws will carry not poison, but another potion that I know of, one that will daze and weaken the minds of those wounded by the claws, making them far more susceptible to being controlled. A potion that I can make now that Barty has managed to purchase some Basilisk poison for it. If followed with a standard Sleeping Draught, it will place them in a state where we can quite literally imbue into them the commands we wish them to follow."

"…and once enough of them do, we will be able to covertly force it on the rest of them." Gellert realized.

"It is a shame that the potion, once brewed, lasts no longer than three days." Voldemort sighed. "But if I can use it on Madam Pomphrey…"

"Then she will be able to use it on all the students without anyone noticing!" Gellert stared in amazement. "Brilliant!"

"It will be a second spell in our wand." Voldemort waved one hand languidly. "It will take decades to do it that way, but if we fail in our first plan, we have a backup ready to cast."

"It is always good to have a backup plan." Gellert agreed. "The one time I did not, I ended up in Nuremburg."

* * *

.

" _I have completed my analysis, sir."_

Harry looked up from the meal he was eating. "Really?"

" _Your flight seems to be a logical extension of the psionic telekinetic aura which surrounds and permeates your cells."_ Jor-El's avatar flickered into existence, flanked by several screens that began showing views of various cells with energy patterns overlaid on them and tags pointing to various portions. _"It is the same aura which grants you your enhanced strength and durability as well as most of your other skills. Your enhanced vision and hearing are achieved through what appears to be a version of fractal energy enhancement of the organs and analysis indicates that you should be able to achieve visual resolution of near-quantum levels with the psionic aura providing stability. Secondary fractal patterns have been detected, but are not yet active, so I cannot analyse their effects.  
_ " _Your enhanced velocity utilizes the same technique as your flight, internal telekinesis. Effectively, you are using your mind to move the telekinetic field which in turn carries your body along with it."_

"That is… weird." Harry mused. "What about my super-speed? How do I keep up with my movement?"

" _The psionic field interacts with your neural structure to increase the effective information transfer speed by several orders of magnitude."_ Jor-El replied almost instantly. _"The current readings of how the bio-feedback loop works indicates that effective speeds of one experiential hour per elapsed second may eventually be attainable."_

Harry gaped in shock. "Wha _bu_ wha?"

" _The field also enhances the flow of magical energy through your body, meaning that you are capable of casting more spells at a higher rate than a human of equivalent age and structure. However, the effect is bi-directional, which is why you are more vulnerable to magical attacks."_

"So… I'm a Glass Cannon in magical terms."

"… _searching… term_ Glass Cannon _located. Description falls within acceptable range of magical status. Physical status terms Lightning Bruiser and Flying Brick may also apply."_

"Like Omni-Man and his son, Invincible, but with magic." Harry nodded, remembering the comics collection in a corner of his library.

" _The comparison has merit, but it is recommended that you do not seek to conquer the world like Omni-Man intended."_

Harry blinked. "Jor-El… was that a _joke_?"

" _I am not programmed for humor."_

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "You've obviously been talking with Sirius. His sense of humor is rubbing off on you."

" _Your dogfather has proven to be very informative about the magical world."_

"You just called him… No." Harry shook his head again. "Nope, not going there. I'm getting out-joked by an AI. Okay, subject change. Formal robes for the Christmas Ball."

" _Herriet has overseen the modifications required due to your recent physical development, sir."_ Jor-El responded, the previous hint of teasing now absent. _"Protective runes have been woven into the under-robes, although their protective capabilities are limited. Similar runes are being woven into your school robes and other items of your wardrobe. Once complete, you will have the same effective resistance as an above-average wizard."_

Harry chuckled. "It'll be interesting seeing Uncle Fil's reaction to a light stunner _not_ laying me out."

" _Indeed, sir."_


	27. The Christmas Eve Ball

Stepping out of the temporary Switching Room linked to Tegg's Nose, Harry looked round at the holographic walls that lined the path up to the tent where the Ball was being held. On both sides were moving images of the most famous magic-users in history, each one in a scene of their legend. To his amusement, there were actually _three_ Merlins, one of whom was pounding away at a sword-blade. By the entrance to the tent, the four Founders were waving staffs to build Hogwarts on the left while on the right, Evangaline Orpington oversaw the casting of spells to create hidden platforms and rails at King's Cross Station.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Remus Lupin asked wryly as he approached them from the doorway to the tent. "Once everyone's had lunch, it'll be deactivated and the images moved to the museum on the island but for now, it hides the park from the guests."

"Most of them." Harry agreed, looking _through_ the apparently-solid holograms and watching as several House-elves _pop_ ped around, picking up pieces of wind-blown litter.

"…yeah, I forgot about your eyesight." Sirius admitted with a dramatic woebegone expression. "So, looking good?"

"Looking good." Harry confirmed as the last elf vanished with the final piece of litter. "All clean and tidy."

"Excellent." Sirius grinned, his previous apparent depression vanishing as if it had never existed. "So, let's go."

"Out of interest," Harry asked, "Are you opening the Island today?"

"No." Remus interjected before Sirius could respond. "We hit a few staffing issues which Padfoot _really_ should have seen coming. However, it _is_ opening on Boxing Day with the staff getting triple-pay for that day."

"Cool."

Harry let Sirius lead him into the tent where Neville and his family were waiting in the main entrance.

"Neville." Harry smiled, then he turned his attention to the others. "Lord Longbo…"

"It's just _Frank_ to you, Harry." The older male interrupted with a smile and Harry nodded in acknowledgement.

"Frank. Alice. Madam Longbottom. It's good to see you all."

Augusta looked uncertain as to how she should react, but Alice Longbottom stepped forwards and gave Harry a quick (but strong) hug.

"It's good to see you too, Harry." Frank clapped his fellow Lord on the shoulder. "The Champions are waiting out the back… did you bring a date?"

"…no." Harry shook his head. "Given the amount of politicking I expect to do after the meal, I didn't think it would be polite to bring one just to bore her to tears or abandon her."

"Point." Sirius nodded in agreement, then he grinned. "The organizers of the Tri-Wiz _had_ intended to use the Ball to decide who the Hostage would be in the second task."

" _Idiots_!" Harry groaned and Sirius laughed again.

"Yeah, but at least they're actually _thinking_ about how it's meant to work, now. Their original plans would have everyone staring at a lake for an hour, unable to see what was actually happening."

Harry gave him a disbelieving stare.

"He's not kidding." Frank added.

"That's what I'm afraid of…"

* * *

.

The people in the tent went quiet as Sirius bounded up onto the stage and accepted the microphone.

"Well, this has been fun so far, hasn't it?" Sirius asked with a huge grin as he waved his hand for a response.

"YES!" The younger attendees chorused and Sirius cupped one hand behind his ear.

"I didn't hear that! Has it been _fun_?"

" **YES!** "

Sirius staggered backwards as if the shout had been a knockback jinx, causing most of the children to laugh.

"Glad to hear it!" He grinned as he returned to the front of the stage. "So, since everyone's already happy, let me see if I can make you happier. While we do have music and dancing coming up, we also have a special event. The pictures you all saw coming in have been moved to reveal the new Hogsmeade Park, a fairground where rides cost a couple of knuts each or a single sickle lets you ride for the whole day! And for those who want bigger rides and more exciting weather, the Regulas Island Park opens its gates on Boxing Day with access points located in Hogsmeade Park, Tegg's Nose, the Peacock's Rest and the Lily's Rest Hotel. Prices for an all-day pass are very reasonable… and everyone here gets one!"

Harry blinked, then looked down to see an envelope appear on his plate.

"However…" Sirius continued, cutting across the excited shouts and exclamations, "I could not have done this alone. Regulas and Hogsmeade Parks were made possible with the aid of several other companies. Please give your gratitude to Harry Potter of Evans Enterprises and Narcissa and Draco Malfoy of White Wing Artificers!"

On the other side of the tent, Harry saw Draco and Narcissa rise to smile and wave regally at the cheering crowd. Quickly following suit, Harry raised one hand in acknowledgement of the applause.

After several minutes, the cheering died down and Harry sat down once more as Sirius raised the microphone to his lips again.

"For those who wish to dance, music will soon be provided while those who wish to try out the rides can do so as they are now open, along with free drinks from the concession stands for today. Whatever you choose, remember to have fun! Thank you all!"

With a dramatic bow, Sirius almost flounced off the stage to another round of laughing applause.

"I don't think that he ever grew up." Luna noted from where she was sat beside her father.

"Growing old is mandatory. Growing _up_ is optional." Her father noted sagely. "Stubby Boardman knows that very well indeed."

* * *

.

"Lord Potter."

"Lord Apparent Malfoy." Harry nodded in reply to Draco, who had joined him on the raised walkway that gave a good view of the park. "Have you seen Regulas Island yet?"

"Since my company has invested heavily in it, I have." Draco confirmed as Harry took a sip of the (Honest Abe's) Butterbeer he was holding. "All members of the Peacock's Rest have a permanent pass to the Island… it's part of the membership fee."

"Clever."

Harry and Draco stood silently for a while, watching as laughing children queued for various rides, then Draco spoke.

"It has come to my attention that you do not hold a membership in the Peacock's Rest, despite meeting the financial criteria. Is there a reason for this?"

"I'm still at Hogwarts." Harry shrugged. "Once I graduate, I'll have more time and thus it will be useful to be a member, even if only for the politicking aspects, but for now, I lack both the time and the experience to truly capitalize on the opportunities that it offers."

"I had wondered." Draco leaned forwards to rest on the railing, then he gave a wry smile as he glanced at Harry's confused expression. "I had been concerned that you had refused because of the… _disagreement_ that you had with my father."

"You are not your father." Harry shrugged.

"I hope I am not." Draco rolled his eyes. "He believed that he knew everything that he needed to know and controlled everything important. I admired and respected him… until I learned how foolish he had been."

The duo stood in silence for several minutes, then Harry half-turned.

"Ah, looks like I'm needed."

"The perils of being an _actual_ Lord." Draco snarked. "Oh, have you seen Ginny or Cedric around?"

"…I think Cedric's dancing with Cho, but I did see Ginny talking to Luna near the pudding tables. Chaser stuff?"

"Chaser stuff." Draco confirmed. "Thank you."

Harry shrugged as Draco walked off, then turned and headed to where Sirius had waved for him to join their group of Wizengamot allies.

.

Glancing back, Draco saw Harry moving off with a smoother gait than normal.

Making a mental note of the change, Draco turned his attention back to finding the red-headed chaser to discuss some of the information that his agents had procured for him regarding the favoured tactics of the Beauxbatons team, information that they would be able to use to develop counter-tactics for.

Although there was plenty of time until the third match, Draco had learned from his mother that putting things off was a recipe for failure.

Besides, the Weasley girl would make a good conduit to the Granger Girl and while Draco still felt the muggleborn witch shouldn't have been accepted into Hogwarts, her intelligence was nevertheless a valuable resource that he would happily exploit for his own usage.

After all, if the Hogwarts Team won the Tri-Wizard Quidditch, he would be able to use the glory thus attained to help make more contacts that would increase his wealth in the future.

Now, if only he could find out why Nott was still glaring at him every time they were in the same room…

.

Ludo's laughter echoed through the tent as he joked with several people, including the Weasley Twins. Bartemius Crouch glanced over at the jovial man, then turned his attention back to the conversation that he was holding.

At least Ludo wasn't making bets. It had come as a surprise to him to find out that there actually _was_ a curse on the Bagman linethat made them unable to win a bet, no matter how small.

At least now Ludo was convinced that following Crouch was the best way of raising enough money to have the curse lifted by professionals.

It made him so much easier to direct.

And once the Tri-Wizard concluded, Crouch would be able to use it to raise himself higher in the Ministry.

After all, the words _Minister of Magic, Bartemius Crouch_ had a very nice ring to them.

* * *

.

_**A Sirius Mistake?  
** _ _By Rita Skeeter_

_In a calculated snub at the higher classes of our society, Sirius Black (once  
_ _imprisoned in Azkaban on the charge of murdering a Wizard and thirteen  
_ _Muggles) declined to follow long-hallowed protocol and tradition, choosing  
_ _instead to turn what should have been a celebration of Wizarding Tradition  
_ _into little more than a public-relations stunt for his newest toy!_

_Reaching into the world of the Muggles, Black has decided to ape their ways  
_ _and has had his company, Blackwolf Industries, create a duplicate of Muggle  
_ _Playgrounds, an area where broomsticks are banned, forcing those who do  
_ _attend to wade through the mud rather than soar through the air._

_Not all is bad, though. White Wing Artificers has a formal garden, a bastion  
_ _of tranquility and culture amongst the hurly-burly that this park will bring._

_The Peacock's Range, as brought to us by the magnificent Malfoy family,  
_ _showcases the best of our world to date…_

Sirius growled as he read the Prophet, the remains of his Christmas breakfast forgotten on the plate before him.

"Good morning, Padfoot." Remus yawned from the doorway. "Is there any coffee left?"

A cup appeared on the table.

"Thanks, Dobby." Remus sat down and took a sip, then looked at the paper that Sirius was glaring at, as if he was trying to set it alight through the power of his mind alone.

"…Sirius… what's happened?"

"Rita." Sirius snarled.

"…ah."

* * *

.

_**Party At The Park** _

_By Xenophilius and Luna Lovegood_

_On Christmas Eve, Lord Sirius Orion Black (Animagus and Chief Executive  
_ _Officer of Blackwolf Industries) hosted a Ball for the combined students of  
_ _Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang._

_Rather than host a traditional Ball, Lord Black combined it with the grand  
_ _opening of Hogsmeade Park, a place with rides and attractions based on  
_ _the Muggle concept of a Theme park, but with a Wizarding twist._

_The feast itself (and the dancing afterwards) were held in a large marquee  
_ _on the edge of Hogsmeade. The food was superb, as was to be expected  
_ _given Lord Black's pedigree, while the after-dinner music was provided by  
_ _the wizarding group Musical Mages, a septet of musicians who played a  
_ _wide variety of instruments and tunes, including music written by famed  
_ _composers from the other two schools._

_While the adults danced, most of the younger attendees decided to go  
_ _and explore the park and the many rides therein…_


	28. Christmas Day

"This is weird." Peter noted as he made his way to the central dome and James gave him a quizzical look.

"What do you mean?"

"It's summer, but it's Christmas." Peter waved one hand to indicate the tropical island that was their home. "Summer. Christmas. It's just… weird."

James chuckled. "Peter… we can turn into living _magic_ and live on an island overseen by a _floating robot_. Christmas in summer is _normal_ compared to that."

Peter glowered at the three-years-older boy, then grinned as the absurdity of his complaint sank in.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Hurry up!" Amanda shouted from the main door ahead of them. "Sirius won't let us open out presents until you get here!"

Peter perked up. "Presents? We have presents?"

Amanda moved aside to let Peter scramble through.

"Yay! Presents!"

.

"You're up remarkably early." Remus noted as Sirius entered the kitchen. "I thought I'd have to leave you a message telling you that I'm about to head to Hogwarts to help oversee the students who chose to remain."

"I had to deliver some presents." Sirius shrugged, then he held up a crayon-picture of five children and a floating half-suit of armor stood around a large black dog.

"Good to see that they're still happy there." Remus noted as he put down his empty cup which promptly vanished with the slight flicker of House Elf magic.

"They are." Sirius nodded. "They're doing well, Kelex is doing a good job looking after them. So, I'm probably going to pay a visit to my dogson and…"

"Your _what_?" Remus burst out, then he shook his head. "You've been waiting ages to use _that_ one, haven't you?"

Sirius snickered at Remus' pained expression.

* * *

.

"This is… odd." Ronald Granger mused as he sat down, cup of tea in hand. "First Christmas just as family in years… no guests, no visitors…"

"It does make a change." Joan agreed as she sat next to her husband, leaning against him as he wrapped his free arm around her. "Although… it does seem rather quiet…"

"Can we open our presents now?" Hermione called as she almost bounded through the door. "…why are you laughing? What's so funny?"

* * *

.

Luna smiled as she finished unwrapping the last present and held up the thin jacket in Ravenclaw colors. On the inside of the jacket, runes were visible in arrays which Luna recognized as being intended to keep the wearer at a comfortable temperature, no matter the weather.

Luna glanced up at the clock and sighed, there was still another three hours before she could go and visit Ginny (and no doubt get fed by Molly). Putting the jacket down, she half-turned and opened the picture album that she kept near her.

"Hello, mum." She whispered to the beautiful lady smiling and waving at her. "It's been another wonderful Christmas, but I still haven't got what I really want. I miss you, mum…"

The picture didn't reply, but simply looped to the beginning, where her parents were laughing with a pair of familiar-looking men. Luna smiled, then blinked.

"That hill…" She leaned closer to the picture, her nose almost touching it as she examined the landmark closely, then she carefully slid the picture out of the album and turned it over. A moment later, Luna burst into the office where her father was working on the next issue of the Quibbler.

"I need to check something!" Luna called out and Xenophilius nodded absently as he continued to write.

"People… A… D… K… N… P! Here we are… Parkinson, Pelian, Pickwinkle, Polliwotsits… here we are!"

Extracting the folder, Luna carried it over to a spare workbench and opened the file, leafing through it. After a moment, she looked up.

"Dad, where did mum keep her Ward-keys?"

"In her jewelry box." Xenophilius replied, looking up. "Why?"

"I need to check something out." Luna chirped as she returned the file to the drawer marked O-R. "I'll be back within an hour."

"Do you need me to perform a notice-me-not charm on you?" Xenophilius asked and Luna giggled.

"No, I've been wanting to spread my wings. just leave the roof unlocked, okay?"

"Okay."

Luna gave her father a quick kiss on his cheek, then scurried up the stairs. After a quick detour to grab a necklace from the fillegree-decorated box in her father's bedroom and don the jacket that Harry had given her, Luna stepped out onto the roof and a moment later, soared into the air on widespread wings.

* * *

.

Molly looked around at her family with a sense of great pride and satisfaction even as she flicked her wand to move the shredded wrapping into the bin in the corner. Thanks to the special doors introduced by Evans Enterprises and Hagrid asking to spend Christmas at the Dragon Sanctuary, Charlie had arrived home just after breakfast, a large bag of presents in one hand as he dispensed handshakes (and a couple of hugs) with the other. Bill was also there and Percy had shown up as well, slotting back in as if he had never left, despite having his own flat in the Tegg's Nose Cavern.

"Molly, this one's for us, from Lord Black!" Arthur called and Molly moved round to stand beside her husband as he opened it up.

"It's a set of lifetime passes to Regulas Park!" Arthur held up the nine tokens which had chains attached so that they could be worn as necklaces.

"Awesome!" Fred (or was it George) exclaimed.

"Agreed!" The other twin chimed in.

"Do they work for the Hogsmeade Park as well?" Ginny queried as she took the one that her father held out for her. "Oh, they do! Awesome!"

Molly chuckled to herself as she used her wand to move the Christmas dinner onto the table as her family continued to talk. Stepping back into the living room, she clapped her hands to get their attention.

"It's dinner time!" She announced and a loud cheer greeted her words.

* * *

.

"The potion simply needs to continue steeping to gain strength now." Gellert noted as he entered the glass-roofed dining hall. "Wow, this is quite a feast."

"Muggle supermarket." Barty noted as he placed another dish of vegetables onto the table next to the sliced turkey. "The amount of ready-prepared meals and ingredients that they have these days is quite remarkable."

"Muggle wines are quite good as well." Voldemort noted, passing a glass of the aforementioned beverage to Gellert, who sniffed appreciatively at the aroma. "Please, be seated. Let us celebrate our continued existences."

Gellert sat down and looked at the number of platters. "Turkey, beef, several kinds of potatoes… this is quite the repast you have prepared for us."

"It passes the time." Barty shrugged as Peter smirked. "By the way, we've finally finished dealing with that leak on the west roof. Turned out to be a rogue Doxy nest, the bugs had shifted a few of the tiles to get in and out and the resulting leak had landed on a beam and run down to where it came through the ceiling."

"That must have taken quite some finding." Gellert noted as he piled meat onto his plate, then passed the platter to Voldemort.

"Peter found it." Barty shrugged as he handed the bowl of carrots and peas across to the man in question. "It needed his special skills. The only other one of us who could have found it would be you, my Lord."

"Now there's an interesting concept." Voldemort chuckled. "I can just see it now. Voldemort and Grindlewald. Repairs while you wait."

Chuckles sounded at his joke and Voldemort looked at his ally and his most loyal followers.

"My friends, by this time next year, we will have reclaimed our rightful places along with powers beyond that of any other wizard. I propose a toast, let us go forth to a golden future!"

"To the future!" The other three raised their glasses, the act causing them to miss a shadow flickering across the table, a shadow cast by something far above them.

* * *

.

Narcissa looked out of the window to where Draco was practicing on the brand new Comet C9 that she had brought for him, a broomstick so new that it hadn't officially hit the market yet.

Turning away with a gentle smile on her face, she moved to the box of chocolates that Draco had included in her gift and opened it, pausing at the sight of the note inside. Picking it up, she opened it and her face paled.

_Mother._

_I cannot speak of this to you and I have taken a grave risk writing this note, but  
_ _Voldemort has returned and demanded my service. The pin I now wear on my  
_ _robes is enchanted so that the Dark Lord can see and hear through it at will. If I  
_ _try to act against him, he will know._

_The Dark Lord returned via possession and I believe that he may be planning to  
_ _use me as his next host. If you know of any way to prevent this, please put it in  
_ _motion and quickly._

_I do not know where the Dark Lord is based, but he is aided by Gellert Grindlewald,  
_ _Barty Crouch Jr and Peter Pettigrew. I do not know when they intend to act, but I  
_ _fear that I may not reach my OWLs._

_Please help me._

_And do not tell anyone. Others still follow him._

"…Draco…" Narcissa whispered in near-despair.

* * *

.

"Quite an interesting setup." Scamander noted as he looked across the Great Hall. Rather than the normal lines of tables, the Hall had been almost cleared with the tables along the sides, piled high with platters of food ranging from salad and soup to burgers, pizzas and almost every kind of party food available, all in sizes that allowed them to be eaten without the need for cutlery.

The dais on which the Teachers Table normally stood had also been re-purposed with half of it devoted to a group of musicians providing background music, often with a Christmas theme. The other half held a bar dispensing alcoholic beverages, albeit only to those who were old enough to drink legally and could show (via the runic arrays set into the counter) that they were not drunk.

"It's designed to facilitate mingling." Remus noted as he nibbled on a spicy chicken wing. "In a while, we'll use the screen to show the Queen's Speech. While we may be our own society, she is still legally our Head of State. After that… probably a comedy film or something."

"You really have managed to incorporate quite a bit of the Muggle world into this place." Scamander mused, looking up at the currently-blank screen. "Those map-tables, magic-proof telephones, these televisions… how?"

"Mainly Evans Enterprises, although Blackwolf Industries is getting into the act as well." Remus dropped the chicken-bone onto his plate and picked up a cocktail stick that had a cube of cheese on it, as well as a piece of pineapple. "The Ministry approves, the need for Obliviators has dropped quite a bit, thus freeing up funds for other uses. I think that… it's the speech!"

The screen lit up, showing Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a very stylish blue outfit and a moment later, her voice echoed across the Great Hall, causing the people enjoying the food to go quiet as they turned to watch.

" _I shall never forget the events in Normandy last June, when the representatives of the wartime allies commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings…"_

...

" _Happy Christmas and God bless you."_

Harry raised his glass in a silent toast as the Queen's Speech came to an end, then glanced across at the table where he had arranged all of the presents that he had received.

"Jor-El, do you have the list for the thank-you letters?"

" _I do indeed, sir."_ The AI responded. _"Do you wish for me to print it out?"_

"And I'll need a lot of paper and my calligraphy kit." Harry agreed, pausing as the items in question appeared on the table. "Thanks, Gilligan."

Finishing his drink, Harry put the glass down and walked over to the table, reaching it just in time for the print-out to appear with the characteristic ripple of House-elf magic.

"This is going to take quite some time." Harry sighed as he looked at the list. "Okay, time to arrange things. Jor-El, I'll need the list split into friends and family, political allies, acquaintances and others… I may need to fine-tune those lists a bit. Once done, print out standard thank-you letters for the final two lists so that I can sign them, then…"

" _Pardon me, sir, but you have a visitor."_ Jor-El interrupted and Harry put the list down.

"I do?"

" _Miss Lovegood has just crossed the outer wards in her Animagi form."_

"I'd better meet her." Harry frowned. "I wonder why she's here?"

" _She is coming in quite fast, sir."_

Harry blurred to the front door and opened it, looking up as a Red-headed Crane swooped down in a manner more reminiscent of a Peregrine Falcon. Flaring her wings, Skydancer came to a near-halt and rippled into her human form, stumbling as she landed. Harry caught her, preventing her from measuring her length on the path, and helped her regain her balance.

"Luna? Is something…" Harry began, only for her to interrupt him.

"Harry! We have trouble! Big trouble! He's back! Again!"


	29. War Council

"This had better be important." Amelia Bones growled as she emerged from the Floo. "I had made arrangements to spend today with my niece, starting with actually having some breakfast!"

"It _is_ important." Sirius noted, his normal jocularity completely absent. "Everyone's waiting."

Amelia blinked in confusion, but followed Sirius into the re-purposed dining room of the Pottery. As she entered, she blinked at the sight of the people waiting.

"Albus? What are you doing here?"

"Where else could I be?" Albus sighed. "You know everyone here?"

Amelia nodded as she glanced round. From where he was standing next to Albus, Remus Lupin nodded in greeting, then turned back to his discussion with Severus Snape. Several other witches and wizards looked up at her entry and Amelia stepped up to the circular metal table that was acting as the center-point of the room.

"Director Bones." Harry nodded in greeting. "Thank you for coming. Jor-El? Is Grace in position yet?"

" _She is."_ The spirit replied and an image formed above the table. _"Drones have been deployed."_

Amelia watched as the image sharpened to show a mansion, one that looked like a capital H from above with the central section standing three storys high and the wings only two, the rear wings also cradling a large, glass-ceiling room between them, a room that extended almost two-thirds of the way to the end.

"What am I looking at here?"

"The house my brothers built." Molly stated as she dabbed at her eyes. "They built it as a place to escape from the war and were keeping it secret until they completed it and we could move in, but they died before they could tell us where it was. Apparently Selene knew, but she thought that it had been destroyed since she saw a full group of Death Eaters heading towards it."

"That's the boat that they used as the launching point during their invasion of Hogwarts." Sirius pointed at the vessel floating in a large pond and Amelia stared at him.

"How did you know that they used a boat? Who told you?"

"The _Obscurials_!" McGonagall gasped. "They _are_ still alive!"

Amelia stiffened in shock and Sirius winced. "What?! Dammit, Black! If they decide to rejoin the Dark Lord…"

"They won't." Harry's voice was filled with conviction. "They're happy where they are and they're _safe_."

" _Where_ are they?" Amelia pressed and Sirius shook his head.

"Safe and somewhere that they are not at risk of being killed simply because they are different." He said firmly. "It doesn't matter. What matters is _this_."

As if to confirm Sirius' declaration, the image of the house fell away and was replaced with the moving images of four people, three of whom were immediately recognised by the watchers.

"That's _him_." Amelia adjusted her monocle and leaned in for a closer look.

"Grindlewald." Albus sighed as he pointed at the second man.

"Pettigrew."/"Wormtail." Remus and Sirius spoke at the same time, hatred evident in their voices.

"Who's the fourth?" Amelia mused. "He looks oddly familiar…"

"Bartemius Crouch Junior." Sirius supplied and Amelia's eyebrows shot up, causing her monocle to fall out. "He's an Animagus, like the other three. Turns into a wolverine. Peter's a rat, Riddle's a snake and Gellert is a vulture."

"The _Obscurials_ told you?" Amelia asked. "I see…"

"I doubt it." Sirius scoffed, then he _oof_ ed as Harry gently elbowed him.

"Getting back to the _important_ matters…" Renus interjected. "Every time that the Dark Lord has returned, he has done so secretly, leaving us in the dark as to his location and plans. _This_ time, however, we know _where_ he is. We know _who_ he is with. And so, _we_ have the advantage for once."

"I thought that there'd be more of us here." Amelia noted as she looked round.

"We don't know who he has reporting to him." Albus noted. "Until we do know…"

"I remember the first War." Amelia sighed. "Understood."

* * *

.

"Good morning, mother." Draco smiled as he entered the dining hall and Narcissa gave her son a warm smile, her eyes hardening slightly at the sight of the pin on his over-robe. As Draco sat down, his breakfast appeared before him, as did a small pole to his left with a sign attached.

"I've been looking at your grades, my son," Narcissa lifted her cup of tea as she spoke, using it to indicate the sign. "While you are in the upper third of the class, I fear that to help wash the taint of your father's unfortunate demise away, you need to do better."

"I agree." Draco said calmly, his head turned to read the sign that his body blocked the pin from being able to see. Turning back, he gave a slow nod. "I can do better."

"So long as it does not harm others, taking advantage of our resources is perfectly acceptable." Narcissa continued. "For instance, a mild wit-sharpening potion would be useful."

"So long as it does not prevent me from fulfilling all my duties as Lord Malfoy once I graduate." Draco reached for the vial in front of him.

"It will not." Narcissa agreed, then she held out a golden chain with several jewels set into it. "By the way, you may find this useful later."

Draco finished downing the contents of the vial. "Yuck."

"Most potions do taste bad." Narcissa agreed. "I still remember how bad Skelegrow tastes."

"Professors Snape and Slughorn came up with a version that tastes of Butterbeer."

"Really?" Narcissa looked intrigued and Draco nodded.

"Zabini can vouch for its effectiveness. Perhaps White Wing Artificers should spin off a new department and go into business with them. Maybe include membership in the Peacock's Nest as a way of encouraging them to agree?"

"…I think that would probably work, my son." Narcissa's smile was full of pride. "I was once part of Horace's Slug Club, you know. I think I will be able to use that."

Draco gave a nod of agreement, absently waving away the strand of hair floating down towards his food.

It was a small sacrifice considering that the potion had a useful side-effect of preventing possession and destroying the spirit attempting to do so, although the process would be very painful for him as well.

With one possible threat neutralized, he could turn his attention to other avenues of action that were now open for him.

Especially now that his mind was working better than it ever had before.

At the very least, he would be able to finally overtake that damned muggleborn witch and prove the superiority of generations of directed breeding over the result of random chance.

* * *

.

"It's going to take me some time to get a task-force together." Amelia noted as she looked over the printout of the mansion floor-plan. "I'll only be able to use my best on this, and even then… I'm not sure how many of us will survive."

"What about the SWAT Teams?" Sirius asked and Amelia shot him a sharp look.

"How do you know about that?"

"Blackwolf Blades." Sirius shrugged. "Remember? The company that has provided the equipment for those seven Special Wizardry Assault Tactical Teams you're putting together? The teams being trained by Mad-eye himself?"

Amelia sighed. "They're not officially active yet. I've kept the entire project grey… finding almost fifty I could trust _and_ who met the requirements was a Merlin-damned _bitch_ of a task in itself. I was including them in my statement, however. Going up against the two strongest Dark Lords in recent history on their own ground? It's not going to be easy, no matter how you look at it."

"True." Albus agreed as he walked round the table to place a commiserating hand on her shoulder. "But in the end, very little that is good _is_ easy."

"Don't I know it." Amelia sighed as she looked at the projected images.

* * *

.

"So this is where you are making those things." Gellert noted as he strolled into the basement. "Rather cool here… I guess that it helps preserve the Inferi."

"It used to be a wine cellar." Voldemort said as he concentrated on engraving runes onto a gauntlet. "I had to clean out a lot of broken glass, the Carrows obviously enjoyed the bounty while it lasted. Then again, they had a full decade, so it isn't surprising that they chose to indulge."

Gellert shrugged as he looked round. Part of the Cellar was filled with the motionless forms of the armored Inferi, awaiting the command to stride forth into battle while at the other end were several stacks of corpses awaiting their turn to be transformed.

"I see you're making quite considerable progress." Gellert mused as he looked at the unmoving ranks. "How long before you have converted them all?"

"Assuming I work for three or four hours a day, only another two months or so." Voldemort would have shrugged, had he not been carefully engraving a line of runes. "I managed to simplify the process quite a bit by purchasing some scrap metal from a junkyard, then using temporary transfiguration on it to reshape it. The molds I used are over there."

Gellert looked in the direction indicated and quickly spotted the workbench with carefully-shaped depressions, some of which had lever-mounted shapes above.

" _Temporary_ transfiguration?"

"Turn the steel into water, pour some into each mold, lowering the upper part into position to ensure the inside is shaped correctly as well, then use a _finite_." Voldemort replied. "The water turns back into steel, but because it's been stirred up and poured into the molds, it reforms in the required shapes."

"Ingenious." Gellert said in admiration. "So simple… yet obviously highly effective. I wish that I had thought of that, when I made my own guardians, I used brute-force transfiguration. It takes quite some time and effort to impose the new natural state on it."

Voldemort nodded, then put down the gauntlet and stretched. "So, now I've done this part, what did you want?"

"Barty and Peter have almost finished making lunch." Gellert smiled as he turned away from the workbench.

"I am feeling slightly peckish." Voldemort nodded. "I'll wash my hands and be right up."

* * *

.

"Interesting." Sanguine mused as he looked over the rim of his blood-filled goblet to meet the determined gaze of his visitor. "Off-hand, I can think of one or two who would be willing to fight, given that our need for blood has been permanently met, but I must admit, it is actually more likely that they would join your adversary instead."

"I was afraid of that." Remus sighed. "I've already contacted the Packs and a few of them were eager to help…"

"How many are there?" Sanguine asked curiously. "I admit that when I was first turned, I was surprised to find out how few Werewolves there actually were."

"Being hunted and killed by Wizards while we couldn't do magic _did_ keep the numbers down." Remus admitted with obvious mixed feelings. "Currently… there are about thirty in all of Britain."

"That few?" Sanguine raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"That few." Remus confirmed. "There were over a hundred a few years ago, but those who followed Greyback became casualties of war and when you combine that with the cure… the number would be less, but we're getting immigrants from other countries who are still cursed and seeking the Cure."

"I see." Sanguine mused, then he took a sip of blood. "I see. As for us Vampires, we also are fewer than people think, especially now that we no longer need to try and prey on others for sustenance. Worldwide, there are less than thirty-thousand of us."

"I thought there were more." Remus admitted.

"Before technology solved our main problem, there were." Sanguine admitted. "Many of my kind died in the war sparked by the clone-blood. Less than half of us survived the battles between those who saw it as a way of building a safer future and those who sought to destroy it so that they could continue to feast on humanity irrespective of the danger it brought."

"I… had no idea."

"We do not talk about it much." Sanguine shrugged. "Before the gift of blood, I would have been on the Dark Lord's side. Now… well, when the Dark Lord asked for us to join him on his quest of conquest, I said no."

Sanguine hid his smirk at Remus' shock by taking another sip, sighing in pleasure as he felt the strength granted to him by the pure blood flowing into his undead body.

"I will spread the word." Sanguine waved his free hand. "Some will join you, seeking the thrill of danger. Most, however… we are finally safe, you see. For those of us whose immortality is fraught with peril, being safe is a quite noteworthy sensation. I think it will be several decades at least before we start to seek out danger once more."

"I see." Remus sighed. "Thank you for listening."

"I shall be here when you return." Sanguine shrugged. "I look forwards to hearing of your battle that I may make a song from it."


	30. Gatherings

"At last." Sirius grumbled as he looked round the dining room which, once again, had been repurposed into a tactical briefing room.

"Stop grumbling." Remus half-growled at his friend. "We're all here and, as far as we can tell, word hasn't got out yet."

Both men looked at the projected screen showing a tactical map of the target mansion, updated in real-time with the take from the probes scattered around outside the perimeter of the wards. A second screen next to it showed a wireframe representation of the wards with arithmancy notations showing where the weak points were and exactly what Wards were active.

"Why don't we have those things of yours _inside_ the Wards?" Mad-Eye asked and Harry winced slightly.

"We tried, but as soon as the first probe made contact, the detection Wards started to react, so Jor-El pulled them back before it became noticeable as more than just a minor random fluctuation. Even so, we had Pettigrew and Crouch Junior out casting detection spells soon after."

"Think that they were warned?" Moody asked and Harry shook his head.

"No… they haven't tweaked the Wards or anything like that."

Moody grunted, then paused as Amelia Bones stepped up onto the temporary platform to address the crowd.

"All of you are here to help us prevent the return of the Dark Lord Riddle, also known as _You Know Who_." Amelia's voice carried across the suddenly-silent hall. "We know who we face. Riddle, Grindelwald, Pettigrew and Crouch Jr. We have a fair idea of their skills and how to take them down.  
"The operation shall begin an hour after sunset when Team Haevateinn takes down the current Wards and puts up containment Wards. At that point, all four will undoubtedly have been alerted and be coming out to find out what is happening.  
"We shall try to separate them and take them down individually. Pettigrew and Crouch are secondary targets and so the Pack and the Vampires shall be the ones to take them down. Capture them if you can, but I would much rather have _them_ dead than any of you. Lord Black will be leading the group chasing Pettigrew while Mr Lupin will be in charge of the group taking down Crouch Junior.  
"While they do that, Team Mistilteinn will secure the boat to prevent them trying to use it to escape. While the Cabinet in Hogwarts has been destroyed, they may have created a second counterpart and put it elsewhere. We will nto allow them to use it if they have.  
"The two Dark Lords are our primary targets. Both are skilled and powerful. Professor Dumbledore will lead the strike against Grindlewald. He has defeated him in combat twice, this shall hopefully be the third and final time. SWAT Teams Dansleif and Gram will back him up since we know that Grindlewald can turn into a bird and having him simply fly away is _not_ an acceptable outcome.  
"Lord Potter will be leading the attack against Riddle. Normally, he would be nowhere near an operation like this, but there is a Prophecy in play indicating that only Lord Potter can hope to permanently take Riddle down. However, to make things easier for him, SWAT Teams Mjolnir and Hofuo will go in with him. Team Gugnir will take station on flying carpets and provide supporting fire as and when they can do so without risking injuring our people.  
"Lord Potter has already arranged for a portable Switching Room to be placed in a clearing approximately two hundred yards from the edge of the Wards, allowing us to get in close without risking being spotted flying in or triggering Apparition-detection Wards. It will also allow us to evac wounded when needed… and since we are going up against _two_ of the worst Dark Lords in recent history, I will count it as an unqualified victory if all of us are alive at the end."

The silence that filled the room seemed to become both darker and heaver at her statement.

"Now. Although we intend to engage them on the grounds of the mansion, we do have a working floorplan thanks both to observation on-site and the plans that Gideon and Fabian Prewitt left in the care of their sister, Molly." As Amelia spoke, the screen behind her changed to show the layout of the mansion. "The main Wardstone is located in the cellar and at this time, we cannot rule out them having a backup that they can bring into play…"

For a long moment, everyone contemplated the sort of Wards that two Dark Lords could come up with if sufficiently motivated.

"Moving on." Amelia finally broke the silence. "Overview of their skills. All four are Animagi…"

* * *

.

"We may have a problem, sirs!" Pettigrew called out and within minutes, both Voldemort and Grindelwald had joined him in front of the viewing mirrors.

"Nott's talked to one of his father's old contacts." Peter noted, using his wand to re-wind the mirror to where Nott had started writing a summary of the conversation. Both Dark Lords watched with growing curiosity and a hint of concern.

"Specialist Auror teams?" Gellert mused. "I wonder what the selection criteria was?"

"Who was the contact Nott used?" Voldemort asked, half-turning to where Barty was leafing through a folder.

"Probably Carrigan, my Lord. Low-level operative in the Ministry… Janitor. Not one of your marked followers, but most definitely a potential recruit. According to this, he keeps complaining that as a Pure-blood, he shouldn't have to answer to his half-blood boss."

"No-one pays attention to the cleaners." Gellert noted. "During my rise to power, I made certain to recruit many of them to my cause. Although they were almost useless in combat, their positions meant that I could rely on them as spies and saboteurs. Their desire to strike out at anyone they perceived as being unworthy of having more wealth or a better life than them proved most useful to me."

"I am sure it did." Voldemort replied as he read the note Nott had finished writing. "Mad-Eye Moody training them? We may need to find out just who is on that team… and where they live."

"They will fight harder if we threaten their families." Grindlewald shook his head. "No, leave their families alone. However, we could always attack them where they train. It would be a good test of those Deathbringers of yours."

"It would indeed." Voldemort agreed. "I do not believe that Nott is subtle enough to get the information that we need. At least not in any way that keeps us hidden. Malfoy, however, is indeed far more clever in remaining covert while gathering information."

The Dark Lords looked at the second mirror and Voldemort sighed.

"He is busy, I see. A business meeting, if I am not mistaken. I shall contact him later."

Gellert nodded, then glanced out the window. "And I need to move the mirrors again to ensure the potion gets as much sunlight as possible. These short days are really quite annoying."

"They'll soon start getting longer." Voldemort shrugged.

* * *

.

The sun had vanished below the horizon when the ramp lowered itself in the clearing.

An observer would have been caught by surprise as there had been no real sign that anything was amiss, save for a couple of odd, rectangular patches where the grass had compacted. Other than that, the clearing had been completely silent until the very air seemed to fold out, revealing an interior that was only visible from the front and a metal ramp with tiny corrugations to prevent slipping.

The ramp was quickly traversed by a team of seven gun-toting individuals clad not in the traditional robes, red cloak and pointed hat of the Aurors, but gear which could very easily have been mistaken for Muggle military, at least until one noted the bracer on the left arm with the three stick-like objects mounted on quick-release clamps on the inner forearm.

"Gugnir confirms clear zone." The leader stated. "Preparing for overwatch."

Three of the soldiers slung their guns and reached into their belt-pouches, pulling out rolled-up carpets that under normal circumstances could not possibly have fitted inside. Even as they unrolled them, two more teams descended the ramp and looked round before spreading out.

"Mjolnir confirms secure perimeter."

"Haevateinn has eyes on warding line. Beginning passive scans now."

The next down the ramp were a quintet led by Amelia Bones in full combat robes, followed by Albus Dumbledore in surprisingly utilitarian dueling robes, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin in outfits similar to that worn by the SWAT Teams and Harry Potter in a trousers-and-coat combination very similar to the one that he had worn several years prior during his duel with Lockhart, the main difference being the sizing and that the colors were subdued. Unlike the others, he held neither wand nor staff in his hands.

As a final group of mixed Wizards and Vampires stepped out, Amelia looked round.

"Are we ready to deploy?"

"Haevateinn has already moved to position and will bring the Wards down when you give the signal, ma'am." The leader of Mjolnir saluted even as the members of Gugnir rose into the night sky on their carpets. "The rest of us are ready to deploy."

Amelia glanced behind her to see that the Wolf Animagi and the half-dozen Vampires had split into two groups, one standing behind Lupin while the second was behind Black.

"Alright." She gave a sharp nod. "Let's move into position."

"Ma'am!"

.

"Let's go." Sirius put action to word by starting to jog forwards, aiming for the closest part of the Wards surrounding their target.

"At last, a chance to drain someone again." One of the younger vampires gloated, only to be dope-slapped by one of the older Vampires. "What was _that_ for?"

"You were told to find a new hobby!" The older vampire growled, flashing his fangs as he did so. "Now we don't need to concentrate on finding ways to drink blood without being hunted, we need to find other things to concentrate on if we're to remain sane!"

The younger vampire pouted, but didn't try to reply.

.

"Everyone ready?" Remus asked, getting a number of nods from the Vampires and former werewolves who had volunteered to help him capture Crouch Jr. "Then let's go. We need to be in position quickly."

Transforming, Remus loped into the woods, the Vampires flying above hem as the other wolf Animagi followed him in a furry tide with the occasional bared fang.

.

"Looking after a kid… we're SWAT Mages, not _babysitters_!"

Harry raised an eyebrow at the moaning Wizard.

"Hands up anyone who's taken on five Obscurials and lived. Oh, am I the only one? Okay, hands up those who have faced Riddle in battle more than twice and lived to tell the tale. Just me again? Punching a Quaffle into the ground so hard it breaks? Oh look, just me. Used Wandless Magic to win a duel in public? Anyone else? Huh."

"We get it." The leader of Mjolnir chuckled. "You're probably as badass as we are."

The complainer rubbed at his ribs where one of his team-mates had elbowed him.

.

"I have to say that I am _not_ looking forwards to this." Albus sighed as he used his staff to push a branch to one side.

"You've beaten him twice and this time you have backup, sir." The leader of the Gram team shrugged. "We've all been trained in anti-Staff tactics. You keep him distracted and we'll take him down."

"I admire your confidence." Albus smiled sadly. "I fear that we may be in for more trouble than you expect, however."

.

Amelia looked down at the mansion, her Monocle allowing her to see the transparent patterns of the Wards which surrounded it.

"All teams report that they are in position, ma'am." The other person on the carpet reported. Amelia looked at him and then gave the leader of Team Gugnir a firm nod.

"Send the word and drop those Wards."

"Yes, ma'am!"


	31. Assault

"That was a good meal." Voldemort sighed as he laid his knife and fork on the plate.

"Indeed." Gellert agreed, similarly sated. "Peter, you are truly an amazing cook. That was the best stir fry I have ever had."

Peter blushed slightly at the praise.

"…thank you."

"Soon, it will be the new year." Voldemort noted as Barty rose from his seat and began collecting the now-empty plates. "Plus the Second Task of the… _what_?!"

Gellert rocketed to his feet, eyes darting round. "Those were the Wards… someone's torn them down and put up new ones!"

"We've been betrayed!" Voldemort snarled, his wand in his hand, but Gellert shook his head.

"Not possible. We're the only ones who knew we were here… someone must have stumbled across us! No choice, we need to use the potion _now_!"

"I thought it was still steeping?" Voldemort half-protested as he followed Gellert to the corner where the small cauldron was positioned.

"It's strong enough to give us a few days of power!" Gellert pushed the array of mirrors to one side, causing several to fall and shatter on the floor. "Four goblets! NOW!"

Voldemort quickly transfigured four of the largest glass fragments into goblets as Gellert picked up the small cauldron.

"We won't have long." He warned as he tilted the cauldron to fill the first goblet.

"We'll have long enough." Voldemort smirked as Gellert filled the second goblet. "I've just ordered the Deathbringers to attack."

.

Amelia frowned as she watched the four teams race towards the mansion. "Are we sure they're in there?"

"Gugnir Three reports movement in the dining area, but the blinds are preventing her from seeing more than shadows." Her companion reported. "They're still in there and… Hostiles! Hostiles! Many hostiles!"

Amelia's eyes widened in horror as the first armoured figure erupted out of the side door and thrust a clawed gauntlet straight through the ribcage of one of the Animagi.

"What in Merlin's name _are_ those?"

.

Albus' reflexive fire-whip scythed out at the three armored beings who had just ripped one of the Swat Mages to shreds, only for the fire-spell to shatter almost like glass as it hit the nearest figure. A blasting curse from the SWAT Mage next to him had a similar lack of effect, then the figure staggered back from the impacts of bullets that bounced off the armor, leaving smears of lead but no other visible damage.

"Fall back! Open the range!" He shouted as a second SWAT Mage was decapitated, then he transfigured part of the lawn into a muddy swamp. The first armored figure charging silently at him fell full-length into the swamp, but the second and third leapt high into the air on a trajectory that would carry it over the sudden obstacle even as more of them appeared.

"…oh crap…"

.

It was a loose stone that saved Sirius' life. As he led the charge towards the back door (where he just _knew_ Peter would try to escape from), he stumbled, his foot skidding out sideways. As he fell, one of the Vampires grabbed him by the back of his robes and hoisted him back to his feet, the action slowing both of them down just enough that three of the former Werewolves reached the door first.

It was the last thing that they did.

Sirius felt his stomach trying to empty as four metal-wrapped monsters ripped the trio apart, striding forwards through the falling corpses.

"Inferi!" The Vampire still supporting him hissed.

Sirius stared at the armor, noting the runes engraves on the edges.

Runes that he could identify.

Runes that, among other things, protected the wearer against fire.

"…this isn't good…"

.

Voldemort gasped for breath as he felt power unlike anything he'd ever felt before flood through him, filling him with energy and strength beyond imagining.

" _This_ is how Potter feels?" Barty panted as the same energy infused him.

"Try not to utterly destroy him." Gellert grinned almost ferally. "If we can capture him, I can use his blood and bones to grant us this power and more… _permanently_!"

"Then let's get him." Barty picked up a piece of wood that had been part of a mirror frame and crushed it to powder in his hand.

.

The ringing of metal struck by wood was almost deafening as the retreating wizards used their staffs to knock over their armored attackers while the Pack ran in circles, using their wolf-shapes to simply outpace and distract their enemies. Although far stronger than their intended victims, the metal monstrosities were only slightly heaver, meaning that a solid blow could send them tumbling backwards several feet, buying a few extra seconds of life for the attackers-turned-defenders.

As one of the armored beings stumbled back a few paces, a Vampire materialized behind it, grabbed it with both hands and with a blood-fuelled burst of raw strength, ripped its helmet off, the welds parting under the incredible force applied.

"Shit!" Sirius hissed as he fended off another attacker. "They're _Armored Inferi_! _Fireproof_ Inferi!"

The helmetless Inferi collapsed as a staff descended on its head, smashing its skull, then a second Inferi was suddenly yanked backwards and ripped in half before the person who had disabled it crushed its helmet one-handed.

"This is _not_ how we planned this!" Harry growled as he backhanded another Inferi so hard that it smashed through a nearby tree, the impacts causing its limbs to separate from its body.

.

"Did he just…?" Amelia found herself unable to finish the question as Harry plunged into the greatest concentration of Inferi, sending the undead (and parts thereof) flying into the air.

"Gugnir one to all Gugnirs. Headshot the hostiles. I say again, headshot the hostiles."

Several sparks indicated that the snipers had responded instantly and Amelia groaned.

"By Merlin's saggy ballsack… damn things are _bulletproof_!"

"More hostiles! Riddle, Grindelwald, Pettigrew and Crouch identified at main entrance! Fire! Fire! Fire!"

.

"What a mess." Peter's face screwed up in disgust as he kicked a corpse out of his way, ignoring its panicked expression and the hole in its ribcage.

"Looks like our would-be attackers are regrouping over there." Voldemort mused.

"There's a group on the boat!"

"Then by all means, Barty, go deal with them." Voldemort replied, then he twitched slightly. "What was that?"

"Someone just shot you." Gellert pointed down at the flattened bullet by the younger Dark Lord's feet, then his hand blurred as he grabbed a second bullet from the air. "I've got the distance attackers."

"Peter, come with me." Voldemort commanded, ignoring the screams echoing from the boat.

"Yes, my Lord."

.

"Headshots confirmed, no effect!"

"Fuck!" Amelia cursed as one of the four figures seemed to vanish despite the Anti-Apparition and Anti-Portkey Wards that were up. "What the hell have they done to make themselves like that?"

A scream echoed and Amelia paled as one of the other carpets suddenly erupted into flame, dropping the occupants straight into a follow-up blasting hex that turned them from Aurors into red mist.

"Evade! Evade! Evade!"

A second flare of light indicated that the command hadn't been issued quickly enough.

.

The last of the two-dozen Inferi collapsed as one of the three surviving Vampires ripped its head off. The other two vampires trotted up, one carrying Sirius Black and the other with an unconscious Remus Lupin slung over his shoulders. As the five surviving Wolf Animagi joined them, one of them carrying the unconscious form of Albus Dumbledore, the vampire holding Sirius helped him to stand, careful not to jostle his broken arm.

"Any more of those… _things_?"

"All destroyed." The vampire used his free hand to produce a comb as he worked on fixing his appearance. "It wasn't easy, though."

"I'm amazed you actually managed to take them out." Voldemort noted as he strode almost casually towards them, Pettigrew following close behind. "Such a pity that you chose to…"

Voldemort spun and grabbed Harry's fist, continuing his turn in order to use Harry's momentum to send him sprawling.

"As I was saying, it is such a pity that you chose to oppose me. I… Kindarkov?"

The vampire in question snarled, then lunged forwards, turning into mist to avoid Voldemort's punch and reforming in exactly the right place to bite down on Voldemort's neck, his fangs piercing the Dark Lord's skin. For a long breath, no-one moved, then Kindarkov jolted away, screaming as he began burning from the inside out.

"It would seem my blood is poisonous to you bloodsuckers." Voldemort smirked as he watched the vampire disintegrate. "I will make a point of visiting Dracula afterwards and letting him suffer the same fate."

"I'll join you." Gellert said as he walked up and dropped the groaning body of Amelia Bones on the floor, her arms and legs showing that he had shattered the bones in them.

"Done, my Lord." Barty blurred into position beside Voldemort, then suddenly he was sent flying backwards by a powerful kick. Voldemort reacted instantly, pointing his wand at Harry, only for the younger man to counter with a block that sent the spell into the air.

"Get him!"

Peter delivered a blow at Harry's back, only for Harry to spin and grab Peter by his wrist. Swinging round, he threw Peter away from him, the airborne wizard colliding with the returning Barty, sending both of them down.

"Crucio."

Harry screamed as pain flooded his body and he stumbled, allowing Voldemort to swing both fists down, slamming Harry into the ground.

"Good timing… where are the other two Vampires?"

"They tried to flee." Gellert shrugged, returning his wand to its holster. "I ignited their mist-forms before helping take down young Potter."

"Barty!" Voldemort called over to his follower, who was pushing himself to his feet. "Fetch that device that Lucius managed to acquire for me just prior to my first fall. It's in the room just next to mine."

"Device? What device?" Gellert asked, looking down at the groaning boy at his feet.

"The one that… excuse me. _Crucio_! The one that will to allow me to broadcast my victory to the nation." Voldemort released the curse and Harry collapsed, barely conscious. "I do believe that since Potter is no longer able to resist and we have utterly destroyed the elite Auror unit raised to fight us, as well as their allies, it is time for us to inform the nation that we are taking over."

"This is not how we planned it." Gellert pointed out as he knelt down to check on Albus. "Huh, still alive, old friend? Well, you always were tough."

"Plans can change." Voldemort pointed out, then he swung his wand. As three bodies hit the ground, Voldemort stepped over to where Sirius was glaring at him.

"Lord Black, it is an honor to meet you." Voldemort chuckled. "I think I'll keep _you_ alive for a while… at least until I have killed your cousin Andromeda and her spawn. Once they're dead, you will follow and the new Lord Black will kneel to me."

"Harry… won't…"

"Oh, he'll be dead soon." Voldemort shrugged as Barty re-appeared, carrying a large object with ease. "In fact, I will make sure that once we have used him for the ritual, he will be the first to die as the nation listens."

* * *

.

"Amanda! Amanda! Come on!"

Amanda sighed as she jogged to the Main Hall where she could see the other three Obscurials sat listening to the radio while James waved for her to hurry up.

"What is it?" She sighed as she slowed down. "What's so impor…"

"Voldie's back, and so's Gellert! They're on the radio!"

Amanda reformed in the main room, having used her _otherform_ to cover the final distance as quickly as possible. As she reformed, she heard a familiar voice from their past, but one that was gloating.

"… _and with the elite Aurors and their pet wolves all no longer among  
_ _the living, we have proven our superiority. Even now, your two great  
_ _heroes, Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, the Last Son of Atlantis  
_ _who was blood-adopted by James and Lily Potter, lie helpless before  
_ _me, unable to move or use their magic, just waiting for me to end their  
_ _lives and claim all they once held dear._

" _It is not just Potter and Dumbledore whose lives I hold in the palm of  
_ _my hand. The Director of the DMLE, Amelia Bones, is here too, all of  
_ _her limbs shattered as the price of her actions against me. Lord Black  
_ _and his pet former werewolf Remus Lupin even now are enjoying the  
_ _attention of my follower, Peter Pettigrew. I do not think that they shall  
_ _last for too much longer. A fortnight at most._

" _I tell you now to enjoy the last days of your freedom, because when  
_ _the new year begins, it will be the dawn of a new era! An era where  
_ _all shall bow before Gellert and myself..."_

Mark punched the power button and the voice of one who had pretended to be their friend cut off.

"This is not good…"


	32. Victory

" _I tell you now to enjoy the last days of your freedom, because when  
_ _the new year begins, it will be the dawn of a new era! An era where  
_ _all shall bow before Gellert and myself. An era where we shall lead you  
_ _all and you will follow… or be destroyed._

" _But rejoice! With the power we now possess, we shall ensure that the  
_ _Wizarding World will finally take its rightful place above the Muggles!  
_ _The unwashed masses will bow to those of us who command Magic as  
_ _you bow to those of us who now can stride through the skies without  
_ _the need for broomsticks or runic belts._

" _Celebrate all, for a new age of power dawns for us all!"_

"Could you be… any more… cliché?" Harry groaned as he surreptitiously tested the shackles binding him to a transfigured steel cross. Voldemort switched off the device he had been ranting into and walked across to sneer at Harry.

"I learned a great deal about you, Harry of Atlantis." He mused, reaching out to stroke Harry's smooth forehead, tracing where his scar no longer was. "When you told me that you were blood-adopted by the Potters, I thought that the Prophecy no longer held true, but adding the letter E to the word Born… it all fitted. One of us must indeed die by the hand of the other and soon, you shall die by my hand… once my allies and I have claimed the power of your blood."

Voldemort turned to look at where Gellert and Barty were effortlessly moving a two-meter-wide basalt platform into position. Even from where he was hanging, Harry could see glimpses of runes drawn on the stone and several channels cut into it.

"The Wards have been re-established, my Lord." Peter reported as he blurred to a stop beside Voldemort. "We are secure again."

"Excellent, my Inquisitor." Voldemort chuckled. "Excellent. Soon, we will all be fully empowered and no-one will be able to stop us from claiming that which is rightfully ouaaaAAAAAAAAH!"

Harry blinked in shock as _something_ threw Voldemort straight through the stone table, sending the two holding it staggering as it was ripped out of their clutches.

"…wha?" Sirius managed from his own cross, then Harry felt his shackles shatter.

" _You are free, Lord Potter."_

"…Kelex?"

" _Please hold still. Your energy levels are currently very low. This will temporarily restore you, although you will need healing later."_

Harry stared at the robot in shock, then as Kelex placed a device on his chest, he half-turned to see Kelor gently lowering Albus to the ground.

"You shall pay for your… oh come _on_!"

Voldemort's raging threat suddenly turned into a disbelieving exclamation as he looked up just in time to see a massive scaled tail descending towards him at high speed. The impact shook the ground, then SssSthss whipped round, glaring at Gellert, who stared up at her with a feral grin.

"We knew about you, Basilisk!" He shouted. "I made sure we were immune to your gaze!"

SssSthss reared back, her jaws opening to show her fangs, then she gave a yelp of shock as Pettigrew grabbed her tail and spun, sending her bouncing into the nearby orchard with a massive crunching of branches.

"That was unpleasant." Voldemort noted as he pulled himself out of the ground and started to dust himself off. "Now, where were…"

Once again, his comment was cut short as a thrown metal cross clipped him, sending him hurtling backwards, before it crashed through the outer wall of the mansion.

"Round _two_." Harry grinned as the Solar Inducer, its charge depleted, detached itself from him and fell to the floor.

"Get me to the radio!" Sirius commanded quietly as the sounds of combat covered the shattering of the manacles holding Albus.

" _As you command."_ Kelor responded.

.

"What is going on?!" Minerva burst into the Great Hall, her over-robe only half-tied and her hastily-donned slippers clashing with her nightie.

" _He_ is back." Filius ground out as he watched the two news anchors on the screen discussing the imminent resumption of the Blood War in voices showing that they were a bare fraction from panicking. At that, they were still calmer than most of the students who had abandoned their Common Rooms and flocked to the Great Hall.

"… _can't be false!"_ The female Anchor was wringing her hands as she looked at her fellow presenter. _"_ No-one _would dare to take his name like that…"_

Her comment was suddenly cut off as a pain-filled voice sounded.

" _This is Lord Black, confirming Tom Riddle is returned. The SWAT Mages are all dead, Riddle and his allies have temporarily empowered themselves to a high degree, emphasis on_ temporary _._  
"Harry's taking them on with the aid of five Obscurials… Pettigrew's taken down Harry's Basilisk but we're still trying to fight…  
"Everyone, you need to be ready to fight… now is not the time to hide… we need backup now…"

" _I think that is enough from you, Sirius."_ Pettigrew's voice sneered and a snap sounded, followed by a hoarse scream. _"Oh, don't worry. Once we've killed the Tonks family, you'll rejoin James and Lily. I'm sure that…"_

The sound cut out, leaving the news presenters looking even more shocked.

"We need to find out where they are!" Filius half-shouted. "Someone bring me my axe!"

"I know where they are!"

.

Amelia watched as Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore were carried off to wherever by the floating armor suits while Sirius did his best to ignore his injuries as he spoke urgently into what she recognized as the Override Transmission Unit for the Wizarding Wireless, the device which had gone missing just before the sudden end of the _first_ Blood War.

A figure seemed to blur into visibility behind Sirius and Amelia tried to shout out a warning as Pettigrew stamped on Sirius' leg, causing it to bend in a way that nature never intended, then he lifted the larger man up one-handed as if he weighed nothing. Amelia saw his mouth move, but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

"…sirius…"

Pettigrew grinned as he raised his other hand to Sirius' throat, then a wave of magical energy barreled into him, sending both men flying while the OTU somehow managed to both explode and _implode_ at the same time. The Obscurial wrapped itself around Sirius, absorbing him, then flew off, leaving Pettigrew pulling himself to his feet.

"…what…?" She whispered, then suddenly a wave of magic engulfed her, picking her up and making the world around her fade away.

_TransportSafetyHealingFriend_

The world reformed and Amelia found herself in front of the odd structure holding the portable Switching Room that Harry had provided. Beside her, Sirius lay, out cold.

"…what…?"

.

"Here!" Amanda solidified _just_ long enough to throw a headset to Harry before she reverted to her _otherform_ a bare instant before Barty's punch would have decapitated her. Harry fumbled the headset into position as he frantically dodged the attacks directed at him by both Dark Lords.

" _Lord Potter, I have prepared a potential solution to the current crisis…"_

"Do it!" Harry panted as he blocked Gellert's aerial kick, the impact forcing him to one knee. "Fast! Now!"

" _There is a ninety-nine point nine nine recurring percent chance that you will be permanently depowered if you do not escape…"_

"DO IT!" Harry shouted.

" _Yes, sir."_

.

If anyone had happened to have been at the Pottery, they would have been quite confused by the mechanical sounds coming from the recessed Quidditch Pitch. Had they bothered to actually go and look, they would have been astonished to see the center of the Pitch, from goal-line to goal-line, sliding sideways to reveal a vast artificial cavern underneath, one lined with metal and crystalline arrangements in a manner that was obviously artificial.

The same hypothetical watcher would have probably fallen over backwards as a missile roared into the night sky, a missile propelled by a crystal matrix rather than a jet or rocket engine, but a missile nonetheless.

The missile rose into the air at an acceleration that even a military missile launcher would have been unable to duplicate, starting to arc onto a new course even before it had finished clearing the upper edge of the Pitch.

By the time that the imaginary watcher could have pulled themselves to their feet, dusted themselves off and made their way back to the edge of the Pitch, the center would have been back in place with no visible sign that anything odd had occurred.

Not even a hint of smoke marked the missile's passage, only a fading whine vanishing into the distance at just below the speed of sound.

.

Barty grabbed Gellert's foot and pulled, extracting him from where Harry had pile-driven him into the ground up to his waist.

"That was irritating." Gellert noted as he turned to where Harry was engaging both Voldemort and Pettigrew in a complex fight, maneuvering and deflecting blows so that both older men had to hold back lest they strike each other. "Come, let us capture him. Once he is restrained again, we can fully empower ourselves… Barty?"

A tentacle of magic slammed Barty against the ground, leaving a crater and Gellert sighed.

"Of course. Well, I think it is time to teach you children the error of your ways."

Producing his wand, Gellert raised it, only for a scything tail to slam into him, sending him crashing into Barty, who was trying to stand up.

"That was annoying." Gellert grumbled.

.

" _Emergency healers to the main entrance NOW!"_ the loudspeaker howled as four self-propelled stretchers rolled in through the St Mungo's Switching Room, their occupants broken but still alive.

.

"Got you!" Voldemort gloated as he managed to get Harry into a neck-lock from behind while Pettigrew punched Harry in the gut. "You can't escape, you know. We're stronger than you and we…"

"My Lord!"

"What is it, my Inquisitor?"

"Incoming!"

"What? Where?"

.

James grabbed Harry's hand and used his _otherform_ to pull him out of Voldemort's grasp, trying to shelter the young Lord from the imminent blast. As he did so, the missile arced downwards, the outer casing splitting and opening up like a flower even as the newly-revealed crystal started to glow with a reddish light, then suddenly, the missile detonated, sacrificing itself to unleash its power over the whole area.

.

Voldemort picked himself up, then he shook his head to clear it.

"What just happened?"

"I… don't know." Pettigrew noted as he sat up, rubbing his head. "My Lord! The Obscurials have all gone!"

"Gone, or been destroyed?" Gellert asked from where he had been knocked over. "I have no idea what that was, but…"

A spell hit him, wrapping him in magical ropes, then a red light missed him by a fraction of an inch as he threw himself onto the ground. Barty spun round, his wand already in hand, before falling back screaming in agony as a battle-axe seperated him from his right forearm. A second binding spell missed Pettigrew, but only because he was transforming into his rat form.

"Idiots!" Voldemort growled as a large monkey charged towards him. "I am the Dark Lord, I am empowered! You cannot possibl-eeaaaiiiiii!"

The ape grabbed Voldemort's ankle and swung him up and over, slamming him into the ground. Voldemort's world vanished into pain and agony, then he heard a shout.

"Nev! To me!"

The world spun weightlessly around him, then there was a sudden grip on his neck and the world vanished with the crunch of shattering bones.

.

Peter scurried through the grass. He had realized almost instantly that whatever the explosion was, it had been magical since he could no longer feel the empowering energy within him, but he was still an Animagus uniquely suited to escaping so that he could revive his Master once…

His ruminations were cut short as a set of jaws suddenly closed on him, shattering his spine and flinging him into the air.

What hit the ground was a corpse.

.

Gellert shifted into his Avian form, the process causing the ropes to fall off him, then he flapped his wings, rising faster than he had ever done before as he poured his entire being into trying to escape.

The sky beckoned him and he raced for freedom, but he failed to notice the blue spell fired at him from behind by a girl who had shifted from her bird form _just_ long enough to prevent him escaping.

He did, however, notice the spell itself as it flash-froze his feathers and wings, removing his ability to fly, then proceeded to continue the process of removing all the heat from his body.

.

Luna watched in vengeful satisfaction as the frozen vulture shattered on the ground far below.

.

Barty ducked through the trees, limping on three legs and leaving a trail of blood behind him, then he skidded to a halt as five figures materialized around him.

"Hello, Logan." The youngest of them glared at him. "We need to talk…"


	33. Reports

"…and we found the body of a large snake in the mansion." Auror Shacklebolt reported. "It had been crushed by what looked like a large steel cross."

Amelia nodded. "Anything else?"

"Several tomes of magic, which the Unspeakables have already put in a request for." Shacklbolt didn't even bother looking at the clipboard in his hand. "Some staff-making equipment, several part-brewed potions that our Potions Masters are examining and other trinkets that are being investigated. The dormant Inferi being stored in the basement have been identified and destroyed. We've managed to close at least forty cases from the first Blood War. In a somewhat unfortunate turn of events, two of them were the Prewett twins."

Amelia gave another slight nod, wincing as her injuries protested even that slight movement.

"How are the others?"

"Albus… although he will recover, it won't be enough to allow him to return to teaching. At least, not full-time." Shacklebolt glanced at the clipboard he was carrying. "Lord Black and Seneschal Lupin will also recover, the Healers are estimating that they may be capable of reaching maybe 90% of their previous level, although it will probably be closer to eighty."

"And Lord Potter?"

"We don't know." Shacklebolt shrugged. "His friends and the Obscurials took him, meaning that we have no idea what shape he is in."

Amelia looked at him, then gave a slight chuckle.

"Ma'am?"

"Just thinking that if not for that sprained ankle of yours, I'd be down an Auror who actually _tries_ to keep up with what's happening." Amelia smirked, then she frowned. "I think I need a Healer… that shouldn't have been as funny as I found it…"

.

"And this will work?" Filius asked as the capsule closed around Harry.

"It worked for my parents." Neville shrugged. "Jor-El, how long will it take?"

" _Due to the significant damage that Lord Potter took, the interaction between the Cruciatus Curse and his physiology as well as the delayed damage caused when temporarily bringing him up to full power, a minimum of three weeks."_

"The Quidditch Match!" Filius winced. "Without him as Keeper…"

"I've been practising a bit." Neville shrugged. "My enhanced reach gives me quite an advantage."

Filius stared at Neville, then started snickering in amusement.

* * *

.

_**Dark Lords Thwarted  
** _ _By Rita Skeeter_

_In an absolutely shocking set of events, the Department of Magical Law  
_ _Enforcement, under the leadership of Director Amelia Bones, launched an  
_ _operation to take out the resurrected Dark Lords You-Know-Who and his  
_ _ally Gellert Grindelwald. With the newly Special Wizardry Assault Tactical  
_ _Teams, they launched an attack designed to capture the Dark Lords and  
_ _their minions._

_The operation, however, failed spectacularly due to a Dark Ritual that had  
_ _been performed by the Dark Duo and the presence of modified Inferi that  
_ _were clad in armor designed to negate spells cast against them. Only the  
_ _presence of a dozen vampires and two-dozen former werewolves stopped  
_ _the Dark Lords counter-attack from being completely successful,but all of  
_ _the SWAT Mages were killed in the battle, as were the Wolf Animagi and  
_ _the Vampires, although they did manage to destroy the Armored Inferi._

_As He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gloated over his victory and informed  
_ _Wizarding Society about his empowered return, a second wave of heroes  
_ _led by Duel-Master Filius Flitwick came on the scene. In the ensuing battle,  
_ _the Dark Lord was killed by Lord Potter and the traitor Pettigrew died as he  
_ _tried to flee the battlefield, as did Grindlewald._

_Bartemius Crouch Jr was found alive, albeit bound and severely beaten at  
_ _the edge of the Orchard and was promptly taken into custody by Aurors.  
_ _At this time, he is believed to be undergoing medical treatment for the loss  
_ _of his right hand prior to interrogation under Veratiserum._

_Sources indicate that Lord Black, Seneschal Lupin, Albus Dumbledore and  
_ _Director Bones are currently recuperating at St Mungos while Lord Potter  
_ _is described as in a_ serious but stable _condition at this time._

_The Prophet extends its best wishes for their recovery and believes that the  
_ _Wizarding World will do the same for our heroes…_

Draco lowered the paper, using all of his self-control to avoid ripping it into shreds. It had all been for nothing! Serving the Dark Lord, spying for him, sacrificing his hair to ensure that he could never be used as the Dark Lord's next host… for _nothing_!

The part about Barty being captured was very worrying, however and Draco leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he thought about how to avoid the fallout. His father's usual method of throwing Galleons at the problem was obviously not suitable, but at least the law stated that Veritaserum could not be used on a minor unless they were either charged with a capital crime or their parent or guardian gave permission.

Rising from his chair, he nodded sharply as the plan formed in his mind.

He would go with his mother to the DMLE and admit to spying for Voldemort, but claim that he had done so because the Dark Lord had threatened to orphan him if he did not comply.

Of course, he would have to send a letter to Nott telling him to do the same thing.

And quickly.

Before that idiot did something to screw up their only real chance of escape.

Speaking of, he really had to check that folder that his investigator had delivered to him about the interest that the deceased Nott Sr had been showing in a certain Quidditch team...

.

Theodore Nott stared in panic at the Daily Prophet.

His future as the Dark Lord's right-hand-man and Seneschal had been ripped away from him and now he was looking at the possibility of a lifetime in Azkaban if Crouch Jr mentioned him!

"What do I do _oooooooo_ oo!"

His whine echoed off the dining room walls as he dropped his head into his hands. Although he had money in the family account, much of it was still unavailable to him until he came of Age, so fleeing abroad was not an option. While forting up seemed attractive, he knew that the DMLE had several Staff-using Cursebreakers in its ranks, so he would not be safe once they came for him…

His thoughts came to a stop as an owl landed in front of him, a letter tied to its leg.

"…huh?"

* * *

.

_**Malfoy And Nott Exonerated  
** _ _By Rita Skeeter_

_In a stunning display of honesty and bravery in front of the Wizengamot,  
_ _Lord Apparent Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott both testified as to how  
_ _they had been forced to act as the deceased Dark Lords spies and agents  
_ _at Hogwarts._

_The pair had voluntarily turned themselves in to the DMLE as soon as they  
_ _heard about the permanent demise of Tom Riddle (aka You-Know-Who)  
_ _and with their testimony (delivered under_ Oath of Truth _), where they helped  
_ _the DMLE finalize the case against Barty Crouch Jr, formerly believed to have  
_ _have died in Azkaban but who was secretly smuggled out and kept under the  
_ _Imperious by his father, Bartemius Crouch Sr, until he was discovered and  
_ _released by the Dark Duo..._

Amelia limped through the main hall of the DMLE headquarters, trying to glare at the Aurors who were giving her a standing ovation. Making it to her office, she dropped into her chair with a sigh of relief, then placed the cane into the clip that had been added to her desk.

"Welcome back, ma'am." Scrimgeour smiled.

"I'm only in for a few hours." Amelia grumbled. "Healers orders. Report."

"Crime levels are very low, Obliviation levels are at the lowest since records began. The number of recruits has gone up and the Aurors are reporting that since the story of the raid broke, none of them have had to pay for drinks."

Amelia snorted at that last little fact.

"Lord Apparent Malfoy and Mister Nott both arrived to give statements on how they had been forced to act as spies for the Dark Lords. In Malfoy's case, it was because it was implied that his obedience was the only way to keep his mother alive. In Nott's case, it was simple self-preservation after witnessing Gellert kill his step-mother. Both have agreed to testify if needed."

Amelia gave a slight smirk. "Good to have a Malfoy supporting the forces of Law and Order for once."

"Indeed, ma'am." Rufus' own smile turned slightly lopsided for a moment. "Veritaserum interrogation of Crouch Jr seems to support the young boys claims, he only really knew that they were serving as You-know-who's spies, but he was unaware of the threats to their lives. No surprise, really. Both boys handed over the pins they were tasked with using as loci for scrying mirrors. One of the mirrors was still intact in the mansion and is being analysed. The runic arrays are apparently quite unusual."

"Any word on Lord Potter?"

"Only that he is healing and will be returning to Hogwarts just before the Second Task, ma'am."

"Excellent." Amelia sighed. "I wonder if he'd be willing to become an Auror once he graduates?"

"I… think that might actually be a waste of his skills, ma'am."

"You may be right." Amelia admitted. "So, what do I need to sign… and what happened to my desk? This isn't my usual desk."

"We've replaced most of the desks, ma'am." Scrimgeour shrugged. "We've upgraded to a virtual parchment office. Just tap the rune _there_ and ask it to bring up the file on the two Dark Lords."

Amelia did so as Rufus moved round to her side of the desk, then she blinked as a transluscent folder appeared hovering above the desk.

"You can open it like _so_ and if you do _this_ , it spreads the pages out so that you can read them." Rufus demonstrated. "Full audio-visual files are supported and the original data is in a dedicated crystal in the Archives."

Amelia didn't bother to respond as she was manipulating the crime-scene model to zoom in and out of various places, noting the tags that appeared whenever she pointed at things.

"If you want to print things out, just throw a copy of the page at the printer there." Rufus added. "To delete things, just throw it in the bin."

"…incredible…"

* * *

.

_**Crouch Jr Sentenced To Death  
** _ _By Rita Skeeter_

_Although the verdict of guilt was never in doubt considering the crimes  
_ _that Bartemius Crouch Junior committed during his many years of service  
_ _to the Half-Blood Dark Lord Tom Marvolo Riddle (aka Voldemort), his fate  
_ _has been confirmed. By the time you read this, Ladies and Gentlewizards,  
_ _the last true follower of the Dark Lord will have been Stunned and sent  
_ _through the relic known as the Veil of Death._

_With Barty Crouch Jr's demise, so too passes the political aspirations of  
_ _his father, Bartemius Crouch Sr. With everyone now aware of how he se  
_ _aside the law to rescue his son at the pleading of his dying wife, Crouch Sr  
_ _has retired from politics and indicated a desire to live in seclusion until his  
_ _dying day, which will bring an end to the once-respected Crouch family.  
_ _Barty Crouch Jr's fate marks the end of an era which brought fear, pain  
_ _and misery to thousands of innocent witches and wizards…_

"Eat up." Draco prompted. "We're celebrating, remember?"

Theodore Nott looked round the private dining room, then out of the window where the sea around Regulas Island sparkled.

"We came out of this as _heroes_." Draco continued with a smirk. "Forced to serve the living embodiment of corruption and terror yet helping the DMLE to restore the rule of law while accepting whatever punishment that they may have chosen to inflict without protest…"

"We could have ended up in Azkaban!" Theodore protested, the steak before him temporarily forgotten.

"Don't be stupid." Draco sighed. "My mother voted the Malfoy seat and led the few remaining allies that I have. Lord Black and _his_ allies supported us as well because Black's advisors play the long game too. By holding us up as examples of those seeking to do what is right, they encourage people to trust in the law while simultaneously placing us in the spotlight, thus ensuring that it is far harder for us to get away with anything that is less than legal… for the next few years, that is."

Nott opened his mouth, only to close it again as Draco held up a warning finger.

"We have an advantage here, Nott, one that I intend to use to the utmost. By the time we graduate, I intend to have a reputation as being cunning, but fair when it comes to bargains and deals. My word will be seen as my bond by all… meaning that when I act otherwise, very few will believe that I intended to. Allies will approach us, seeking to link themselves to our future political potential and I, at least, shall choose carefully which of them to allow to approach me.  
"And when the time comes, I shall plant a dagger in the back of that damned blood-adopted Atlantean in a way that will leave everyone believing that he did it to himself.  
"So, Nott, let us celebrate our freedom… and begin planning our vengeance!"

Nott slowly nodded, then he froze as Draco continued.

"Let us also discuss building a bigger stadium for the Chudley Cannons… allowing us to claim the riches beneath for ourselves."

"How in Merlin's name did you know about _that_!" Nott gasped.


	34. Announcements

Minerva looked at the crowded Great Hall, her eyes fixating for a moment on the gap at the Ravenclaw Table where Harry Potter normally sat.

"Jorel says that he is healing." Albus said, his voice considerably fainter than usual and Minerva looked at him. The former Headmaster returned her gaze calmly as he continued. "He will be back before the Second Task and at full strength."

"Unlike you." Minerva said before she could stop herself and Albus nodded.

"Unlike me."

Minerva sighed, then looked down at her empty plate.

"Well, I think it is time to make the announcements." She sighed. "I hate doing this."

"I always enjoyed it." Albus chuckled, then he coughed several times. Horace promptly passed Albus a small vial and the older man drained it without hesitation, then gave Minerva a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine."

"You'd better be." Minerva growled back, causing Albus' eyes to twinkle with amusement. "Fine. Speech time."

Picking up a teaspoon, Minerva rose to her feet and tapped the magically-enhanced crystal goblet. As the chimes echoed across the Great Hall, the House Elves removed the remaining food, meaning that no-one had an excuse to _not_ turn to face her.

"Welcome back." Minerva began. "I know it has been a very emotionally draining holiday with the return and final demise of the Dark Lords Tom Riddle and Gellert Grindlewald. Many fine witches, Wizards and Vampires made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we would be free of the monsters that threatened us. Let us take a moment to reflect on their bravery… and sacrifice."

The silence in the Great Hall seemed to become an almost physical force as many students closed their eyes and lowered their heads. Minerva was aware of how Albus had done the same while Filius had instead risen to his feet and placed his fist over his heart as he performed the salute that a Goblin Warrior gave to a fallen ally, standing motionless in tribute.

"Thank you." Minerva broke the silence. "With the Dark Lords gone, never to return, the shadow of fear has finally been lifted. However, it has caused us to need to make some changes. The first one is that Professor Dumbledore is now Professor _Emeritus_ Dumbledore. Albus, if you would explain?"

"Thank you, Minerva." Unlike the Headmistress, Albus didn't rise to his feet as he spoke and many eyes widened as they realized that he was sounding significantly weaker than usual. "I was injured quite severely during the recent… unpleasantness… and despite using the best potions that Severus, Andromeda and Horace could brew, I am dying."

The Great Hall erupted into loud cries of denial and near-despair, forcing Minerva to unleash several cannonblast charms to quieten them down.

"I am old, perhaps the oldest person in the school, and my magic has been slowly fading over the last few decades. The injuries I received have taken their toll. The Healers have agreed that although I shall probably see out this school year, I will likely not see the next one through and it would take a true miracle to see out the one beyond that.  
"I have resigned from teaching Transfiguration but Minerva has been kind enough to allow me to stay on in an advisory position. To help you as best I can, encourage you in your learning and help you understand the mysteries of magic. As such, my new offices will be found just outside the library. I hope Madam Pince does not mind me popping in occasionally to see if I can help."

The normally-dour librarian's expression was a mixture of fond irritation and amused annoyance as she looked over at Albus.

"You will not be going without a teacher, however." Albus continued. "Minerva has been gracious enough to allow me to introduce my replacement. Please welcome back a former Slytherin, one of the few to gain better-than-perfect scores in both her Transfiguration OWLs and NEWTs and the author of the best-selling book _The Changing of the Snakes_. I give you Professor Aramina Squibbert!"

The lady in question rose from her seat and gave a slight bow as applause rose from the assembled students. As the applause died down, Minerva started speaking again.

"You may have noticed that we are missing Professor Lupin as well. While he will be returning to us in a couple of weeks, it will only be as Deputy Headmaster and not as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Severus Snape has agreed to transfer across to fill that position and Horace Slughorn will be taking over the teaching of Potions for the fifth years and above."

The applause was slightly less with Slytherin House reacting the most and most of the other students uncertain as to whether they should be celebrating or worrying.

"And now it is time to finish up with some pudding."

.

As the other Slytherins headed towards their rooms, moving with the casual slowness of those who have eaten to repletion, Draco made sure to remain behind in the common room.

"You had something you wished to ask about, Lord Apparent Malfoy?" Snape asked, one eyebrow lifting slightly in query.

"I was just…" Draco started, then he sighed. "The Dark Lord was known to use Soul Anchors. Is it _certain_ that all of them have been neutralized?"

Severus gave a thin smile as he pulled his left sleeve up and held out his arm, turning it so that the younger boy could see that it was unmarked.

"Before his execution, Crouch Junior's arm was the same. Riddle is no more. It has been confirmed."

Draco sagged in relief.

"And speaking of things that are no more, I notice that your hair is an illusion. While I can see the advantage in reducing grooming time and avoiding having it affected by potions fumes, I find that I have to ask. Did you decide to do that to show that you do not intend to follow your father's path?"

Draco froze for a moment, then gave out a self-depreciating chuckle. "I should have known better than to try and put one past my Head of House."

"Indeed you should have." Snape agreed, mentally noting that Draco hadn't actually answered the question. "Perhaps I could assign you an _extra credit_ project with special instructions as to how it could go wrong in a way that causes hair loss, so that you do not need to rely on that illusion."

"And risk people believing that I would make such a mistake in Potions?" Draco shook his head. "Thank you, but no, Professor. I still have my reputation to think of. No, I will deal with it myself."

"Spoken like a true Slytherin." Snape approved. "Now, I do believe you need to get some rest. Goodnight, Mr Malfoy."

"Goodnight, Professor. And thank you."

"There is nothing to thank me for, Mr Malfoy. Although am I looking forwards to seeing your grades improve."

Draco froze in shock as Snape's final comment registered. For a moment, he could think only one thing.

' _How did he know?'_

.

"Any problems?" Minerva asked as Severus strode into the Staff Room, his robes flaring dramatically.

"One minor case of reassurance, otherwise all is well." Snape responded as he moved to his chair and sat down. "Auror Moody, if you have the time afterwards, I would like to consult with you about the Defence classes and what you believe to be the most important issues."

Alistair Moody looked across at the younger man. "Be glad to help. Might get some of them trained up enough to stop the next would-be Dark Lord. Have to ask, though, why _me_?"

"You are currently one of the two here who are most experienced with going up against the Dark Arts." Severus shrugged. "What sort of Slytherin would I be if I did _not_ take advantage of the resource that you represent?"

Mad-Eye's cackling laughter caused several of the other teachers to look at him in mild concern.

* * *

.

"Thank you for coming." Draco looked round at the others in the corner of the shared study room. "We have a big problem."

"We need a Keeper and we need one _fast_." Ginny confirmed. "While I know that Ron is showing promise, we already have _two_ Gryffindors already on the team, so… yeah."

"We need a Keeper from either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw." Blaise agreed. "With Potter unable to help us out…"

"How about Neville?" Ginny suggested. "He's been practicing quite a bit. He's good… and his Animagus form helps too."

"I was going to suggest Herbert Fleet." Cedric noted. "He's… pretty good too."

"Perhaps we could gather all the Chasers and test both out?" Draco mused.

"Has my vote." Ginny shrugged.

"Seconded." Cedric agreed. "But not tonight."

"Sunday." Draco decided. "That will give everyone time to check their gear and, if need be, get anything that's broken replaced. If you need a broom upgrade, see me and I'll arrange a discount at the Snidget's Feather… although your broom _should_ give you the advantage in the next match."

Blaise nodded almost ruefully at the pointed comment with the subtle show of disapproval about how his choice had prevented him from beating Krum to the Snitch.

He had the feeling that he wouldn't be able to live it down until well after he had graduated.

And the dark humor in Draco's eyes indicated that even then may be too soon.

* * *

.

"…and we need to do _something_ about those _beasts_! They need to be tracked down and destroyed before they can reproduce and destroy all that we hold dear!"

Chief Warlock Tiberius Ogden looked blankly at the member of the Wizengamot, then glanced down at his newly-upgraded desk with its inset map of the Wizengamot's seats that showed who was seeking attention and who was speaking.

"Your point has been made, Lord Runcorn." Ogden sighed as the bearded man finally sat down. "Does anyone wish to make a rebuttal?"

"I do." A voice stated and Ogden looked up.

"You are recognised, Lord Longbottom. The floor is yours."

Frank nodded in thanks as he began. "Although I respect Lord Runcorn for his energy as one of the newest members of the most August body, I do question his ability to keep up with current events. Those whom he calls beasts may _technically_ qualify as being so, but I know better. Like those who were once Werewolves and are now fully accepted and respected members of our community, these five have transcended their curse. They have demonstrated that _they_ control their power when once it controlled _them_. They are fully in control of their abilities and as such, they can no longer be considered to be _Obscurials_. As they have proven, they are not monsters but _guardians_. As such, I move that they be granted full citizenship as they are undoubtedly as magical as _we_ are!"

As the Wizengamot erupted in shouts and protests, Ogden sighed.

Somehow, he just _knew_ that this would take _years_ to resolve, if not decades.

Fortunately, as the leader of the Wizengamot, he was required to try and remain as neutral as possible.

Which, upon reflection, was probably a good thing given that he had no idea about how he actually felt about the situation in question.

* * *

.

Neville landed and a moment later, Herbert Fleet touched down, one hand already extended.

"I know when I'm outmatched." The Hufflepuff Keeper said wryly. "It's probably a good thing that I never intended to play professionally. Even when you weren't using your Animagus form, you still out-played me."

Neville looked down in embarrassment, then grinned as the other members of the Hogwarts Quidditch Team gathered to congratulate him.

"Nice one, Neville!" Ginny chirped as she gave him a quick hug.

"You did good." Cedric clapped Neville on his shoulder.

"Not bad, Longbottom." Blaise added as he ambled over, then he ducked as a red-crested parrot flew past him while a silver fox dashed between his legs. The animals came to a stop just in front of Neville and rippled into the Weasley Twins.

"…when did you two get your Animagi forms?" Ginny asked in shock and the twins grinned at her.

"You remember when we went out on Christmas Eve?"

"It was to see Lord Black."

"He had determined that we were ready…"

"…and so now we are Animagi!"

"At least I'll be able to tell you apart in your animal forms now." Ginny grumbled, then she frowned. "What are you grinning about?"

In reply, the twins changed forms again, but the one who had been a fox was now the parrot and vice-versa.

"Can't you two idiots do _anything_ normal?" Ginny groaned.

"…how?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Must be a twin thing." Neville shrugged.


	35. Awakening

" _Good afternoon, sir."_ Jor-El said as the top and sides of the healing pod retracted into the base, leaving Harry lying on what had effectively become a padded table.

"Jor-El… my _everything_ hurts…"

" _As expected, sir."_ Jor-El replied to Harry's almost-silent whisper. _"The healing-pod could only aid with the physical rebuilding and the basic psionic-energy re-modulation. I am afraid that the only way to complete your healing is food, rest and solar energy. Please try not to move."_

"…How's SssSthss?"

" _Her bruises have almost healed and the seventy-six damaged scales will soon no longer be an issue since she is approaching a Shedding Day."_

Harry let out a sigh of relief at the news. "Good. The others?"

" _Lord Black, Seneschal Lupin, Albus Dumbledore and Director Bones are all alive and have completed their recovery periods. Tom Riddle, Gellert Grindlewald and Peter Pettigrew did not survive the battle while Bartemius Crouch Junior was captured, interrogated, tried and executed. It has been confirmed that all of Riddle's Soul Anchors have been destroyed while notes found in the mansion indicate that no more could be created for several more months."_

"Then… it's over? It's finally over?"

" _Lord Black has confirmed that the Prophecy Orb has gone dark, sir. All indications are that the threat has been permanently neutralized."_

Harry smiled and closed his eyes. Several minutes later, Herriet _pop_ ped into the sickbay and placed her hand on her Master's wrist, vanishing with him in another almost-silent _pop_. Once she was gone, floating drones began the process of ensuring that the healing pod was fully sterilized and ready for if it needed to be used again.

.

SssSthss opened one eye slightly as a weight suddenly appeared. Turning her head, she looked down at where Harry was lying on one of her coils with two more acting as barriers to prevent him from sliding or rolling off.

"Master Potter needs to sleep in the sunlight." Herriet whispered and SssSthss gave a slight nod to show that she understood. As the House-Elf vanished again, SssSthss lay her head down and relaxed in the warmth of the greenhouse once more.

All was finally right with the world.

* * *

.

"How will we ever repair this place?" Molly sighed as she looked at the half-tumbled Mansion. "Just sourcing the materials will be expensive…"

"That won't be a problem, Miss Weasley." The witch escorting the Weasley matriarch smiled. "Lord Black has vowed to meet all reasonable construction costs and Seneschal Lupin had an interesting idea, one which we believe will work."

Molly half-turned to give the representative of Cavern Domiciles a quizzical look.

"Due to the magic-reliant nature of The Burrow, one of our people suggested we could transfer the rooms across and integrate them into the rebuilding work that needs doing. That way, you would be quite literally _moving_ house."

"I think my brothers would have appreciated that joke." Molly sighed wistfully, looking at the mansion without really seeing it. "…alright. If Arthur agrees, then do it… but I'll miss the orchard…"

"The orchard from the Burrow can be integrated there." The Witch motioned to the large area where the trees had been reduced to shattered stumps and broken branches by the impact of something huge.

Molly gave a long sigh. "Let me call Arthur."

"Call me for what?"

Molly smiled as her husband stepped up beside her and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"Planning where to put the furniture in our new home, are we, Mollywobbles?"

Molly giggled as she relaxed into his embrace.

* * *

.

"What's wrong?"

Luna sighed as she looked at the Teachers Table where Remus Lupin had just sat down, putting his cane to one side.

"I just feel guilty." She admitted. "So many people died because of me…"

"It wasn't because of you, it was because of _Riddle_." Neville pulled Luna into a one-armed hug and let her rest her head against his shoulder. "You may have led us to him, but _he_ was the one who started it all."

"How did you find them, anyway?" Hermione asked from across the table.

"I was looking at a photo of my mother and some of her friends when I recognized the hill in the background as one being fairly near us." Luna said quietly. "I checked with the records Daddy keeps and worked out where the house should have been. I thought it would be a good present to the Weasleys to get the house that Molly's brothers were building."

"It was a brilliant idea." Neville reassured her. "The fact it didn't turn out how you thought it would wasn't your fault."

Luna nodded, but everyone could tell that she didn't believe Neville.

"Change of subject." Ginny declared. "Neville, well done for getting onto the team."

"Well, I think it was a bit of a _stretch_ , but I managed to _hang_ in there." Neville joked, causing Luna to snort with soggy laughter before trying to slap his chest. "Violent girl."

"Your fault for _monkey_ ing around." Ginny sniggered, then she ducked as Luna tried to dope-slap her.

* * *

.

"That was delicious." Harry sighed in repletion as he leaned back against SssSthss' coils. "Thanks, Gilligan."

The House Elf _pop_ ped into view and bowed, before vanishing along with the small table and the crockery that had been on it.

"Jor-El, any updates I should be aware of?"

The holographic avatar of the Kryptonian AI shimmered into existence.

" _The Wizengamot is debating whether to award you an Order of Merlin, First Class, for your confirmed victory over Tom Riddle. Luna Lovegood is also in line for one after she slew Gellert Grindelwald as he tried to escape. At the behest of Lord Black, the families of those who died during the battle are being awarded the equivalent of three years Elite Auror salary.  
_ " _On a related matter, Professor Flitwick, Heir Longbottom and Miss Weasley are all going to be awarded an Order of Merlin, Third Class each for their actions in providing reinforcements and Miss Granger is in line for an Order of Merlin, Second Class for the demise of Peter Pettigrew who was attempting to flee the battlefield.  
_ " _The debate about the legal status of the Obscurials is still in progress, although both sides have agreed that the matter is somewhat academic since the individuals in question are not residing within the Ministry of Magic's jurisdiction. The main proponant for the enforcement of the Obscurial Control Law is Lord Runcorn, who has repeatedly called for all five to be executed."_

"Runcorn… Runcorn…" Harry mused. "Nope, don't recognise the name. Who is he?"

" _Lord Albert Runcorn is the cousin of the deceased Lord Burke and inherited the Wizengamot Seat when Lord Burke died at the Battle of Little Hangleton. Records indicate that Lord Burke was the second human casualty of the battle, the first being Lord Malfoy."_

"Did _I_ kill him?" Harry frowned.

" _No. Lord Burke was slain by Professor Flitwick. Runcorn is aware of this fact, but has chosen not to take any action against Professor Flitwick."_

"I certainly wouldn't want to face him in a real battle." Harry admitted with a rueful chuckle. "I still remember how he kicked my ass, Neville's, Hermione's and Tonks' all at once using little more than the Magesaber which he had _just_ learned. He may be retired from the field, but he's still _incredibly_ dangerous."

" _Noted, sir."_ Jor-El commented.

"Back to Runcorn." Harry said as he wriggled slightly to settle more comfortably against SssSthss' coils. "He may be a problem in the future. Give me an overview of him."

" _Very good, sir."_ As Jor-El spoke, a picture formed of a tallish, dark-haired man. _"Lord Albert Runcorn, born 1972. Attended Hogwarts and was Sorted into Slytherin. Pureblood. Current occupation, Ministry of Magic, Department For The Regulation And Control of Magical Creatures, Office of Misinformation.  
_ " _Social information. Not a member of the Peacock's Rest. Not a member of the Slug Club. Supporter of the Chudley Cannons…"_

Harry closed his eyes as Jor-El worked his way through the available information.

* * *

.

"Thank you for seeing us." Draco smiled at their visitor. To his left, Narcissa sat taking notes, ready to quietly advise and prompt him if needed while to his left, Theodore Nott was trying (and mostly succeeding) to hide his disgruntlement. "I must admit that I am quite a fan of the Cannons, Mr Dorkins."

"Please, call me Ragmar." The heavyset man in orange robes beamed at him.

"Then I would be honored if you would call me Draco." Narcissa gave her son a small smile of approval as he spoke. "I must ask, how is my friend Flint getting on?"

"Oh, he's _amazing_!" Ragmar almost chirped. "He's arranged for us to get better equipment, the most modern brooms… he's even changed the training so that we're actually _winning_ matches again!"

"I am very happy to hear that." Draco almost purred as Theodore somehow managed not to scowl. "However, I was wondering if I could engage in a little business transaction with you."

Dorkins raised a quizzical eyebrow and motioned for Draco to continue.

"With the resurgence of the Cannons, your stadium is becoming rather crowded once again." Draco began, sliding a folder across to the older man and motioning for him to open it. "Given how Chudley is hemmed in somewhat by the muggle towns of Chudleigh Knighton and Heathfield, finding a place to expand is somewhat… problematic. Yes?"

Dorkins looked down at the map in front of him, then nodded slowly.

"As it turns out, the Malfoy Family owns a small farm in that general area, one which no longer is tenanted after the last inhabitant died of old age a decade ago." Draco gave a slight shrug. "Its relatively small size means that it is not viable for use as a food-production area at this time. It would cost too much relative to how much it could bring in."

"Are you suggesting…?" Dorkins trailed off and Draco smiled.

"Indeed I am, Mr Dorkins. The next page shows the plans for the new Chudley Cannons Stadium. I licensed the design from Evans Enterprises, with some modifications to increase the number of available seats, stands and stores as well as improving the changing areas. You will also note that a full dormitory area is included for times when training goes late and extensive office space has also been incorporated as you undoubtedly will need it given how your fanbase is increasing once more."

Dorkins nodded almost absently as he perused the plans, then he looked up. "And the cost?"

"A simple straight trade. Once the Pitch has been completed to both your satisfaction _and_ passes a full structural inspection by a Gringotts-Approved firm, the Cannons simply move across and I get the pleasure of owning some truly wonderful history… and hopefully a slight lowering of costs if I put in a few of my own shops. Needless to say, this is totally dependent on _your_ approval."

"I… don't see any catches…" Dorkins admitted.

"I will be happy to swear under Veritaserum that there are no catches." Draco replied, earning a surprised look. "As I said, I am quite a fan."

"You must be." Ragmar agreed. "In that case, assuming that the new pitch is suitable, I am happy to agree."

.

"And _done_." Draco smirked at the door through which Ragmar Dorkins had departed. "He really thinks that he got he best of that deal."

"I can't believe that you did that!" Theodore burst out. "Dad spent _decades_ trying to grab that mine and you just… just… AAARGH!"

"Making the new Pitch will be quite expensive." Narcissa commented and Draco laughed.

"Please, we could pay for it out of petty cash if we needed and this way, we get a great deal of publicity for our company, _very_ profitable locations for our restaurants and Quidditch shops… and _loads_ of Mage-Quartz to sell to the Goblins and Warders for _obscene_ amounts of money that will help us expand further, maybe even claiming the largest share of the market for ourselves. In short, we win."

"We do indeed." Narcissa agreed, smiling proudly. "We do indeed."

Theodore ground his teeth in impotent rage.


	36. Reporting

" _Good morning and welcome to MERLIN, the Malfoy Educational Regional, Local and International News Network, where we promise to tell you the truth. My name is Marietta Davis…"_

" _And I am Kirkland Jenkins."_ The wizard sitting next to her chimed in. _"The main stories this morning. Multiple Orders of Merlin awarded to the defeaters of Riddle and Grindlewald."_

" _The Chudley Cannons open their new stadium, the Goliath Ferris Memorial Stadium, named after the Seeker who took the Cannons to their last League victory in 1892. To mark the occasion, the team has re-adopted their original motto, We Shall Conquer."_ Marietta smiled as she delivered the news, then she let her co-anchor take over.

" _In less than an hour, the second of the three Tri-Wizard matches will take place at Hogwarts School, this one between the Hogwarts Team and the team from Beauxbaton. The match will be shown live on Magevision as well as on Radio."_

" _And finally, the last Werewolf in the United Kingdom has undergone treatment to become a wolf Animagi, marking the end of the Werewolf Curse in our country."_ Marietta finished. _"This is MERLIN News, bringing you the facts. And now, our Wizengamot Reporter Hieronymous Ganglefoot on the Orders of Merlin."_

The studio vanished, being replaced by a portly wizard in well-tailored robes standing in the Wizengamot Chamber.

" _History has been made here as the Wizengamot voted unanimously to award no less than six Orders of Merlin following the final defeat of the former Dark Lords Tom Riddle and Gellert Grindlewa…"_

"Well, you heard the man." Cedric said as he touched the screen to mute it. "Once again, we'll be in front of the entire nation and this time, Draco's newest company is reporting."

"When I set up the MERLIN Network, I made sure to make certain that it was editorially independent and politically neutral." Draco interjected. "I can assure you that when we resume the normal inter-house Quidditch next year, all four teams will be treated impartially."

"Good to know." Cedric nodded with an approving smile. "Now, thanks to Draco, we have quite a bit of information on how the Beauxbaton team plays, they like to use pre-rehearsed plays designed to be confusing to the opposition since they have only two starting moves, meaning that once they begin their techniques, it generally takes until the fourth move to work out which tactic they are using. On the other hand, since we know both of the setups, we can come up with disruption plays to prevent them from succeeding."

Draco nodded approvingly, as did Ginny and her brothers.

"With Fleur acting as Team Captain in the Chasers, we can expect the primary focus of their game-play to be point scoring. It's quite probable that their Seeker, Marjorie Peltier, is under orders to hold off on catching the Snitch for as long as possible to give the others a chance to build up a lead. However, if we get far enough ahead, we can assume that her role will change to Snitch-hunting to prevent us gaining a victory via points. Blaise, you'll need to be even more aware than last match since we don't have Harry to point out the Snitch to you."

"I know." Zabini agreed, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"The good news is that Peltier uses an Air Wave Gold, meaning that your S5 is noticeably better. You have the advantage in agility and acceleration, although she technically has a better top speed. That won't be an issue, however, as it'll take her longer to reach it and the Air Wave Gold's stability decreases when it goes at better than four-fifths of its maximum speed. On the other hand, the Gold can come to a complete stop faster than the S5 and the seating charms actively hold the rider in place when decelerating, so a Wronski Feint may be less effective than normal."

As Blaise nodded to indicate that he understood, Draco leaned back, looking at the Champion in a new light.

Perhaps the Cannons would like to have a new Chaser to go with their new Stadium…

.

"Harry?"

"Hello, everyone." Harry smiled at the five staring at him in surprise. "I hope you don't mind me visiting. Among other things, I wanted to thank you all for saving us."

Several of the Obscurials blushed or looked away in embarrassment.

"I also brought popcorn and Ice Cream." Harry added as Gilligan _pop_ ped the items in question onto the nearby table. "There's going to be a Quidditch Match on soon and I thought some refreshments would be good."

The five Obscurials cheered with joy.

.

The screens in the Teachers Box flickered into life, showing the two main anchors of MERLIN Network who in reality were sat in a box on the other side of the stadium. Filius stepped up to the edge of the box and waved, smirking as he saw a flicker of movement in the background that matched his own on the screen.

" _Welcome to the Hogwarts/Beauxbaton Quidditch Match!"_ Marietta chirped happily. _"Today, we will all be honored to see the best players from both schools battling it out on the Quidditch Pitch."_

" _The Hogwarts Team is led by Tri-Wizard Champion Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff House."_ Kirkland began as images of the players appeared behind him. _"Playing in his preferred role as Chaser, he is joined by Lord Apparent Draco Malfoy of Slytherin and Ginny Weasley of Ravenclaw. The Beaters are the Weasley twins Fred and George from Gryffindor while Blaise Zabini of Slytherin is the Seeker. Due to recent events, Lord Potter is unable to play, so Heir Neville Longbottom of Ravenclaw is the team's Keeper."_

" _The Beauxbatons team is led by fellow Tri-Wizard Champion Fleaur Delacour who is also playing as a Chaser."_ Marietta continued as the images changed. _"Her fellow Chasers are Maria Du'Lac and Estelle Malfois. The Beaters are Johann Lacroix and Marcelle Janvier with Marjorie Peltier as Seeker and Maurice Gaston as the Keeper."_

" _Hogwarts' own Broom Mistress Rolanda Hooch will be acting as Referee with former Quidditch Player Ludo Bagman providing commentary for the match, one which will no doubt be very exciting!"_ Kirkland smiled widely.

" _That being said, let us hand it over to Mr Bagman himself as we watch the two schools compete!"_ Marietta finished, smiling equally broadly.

"This should be interesting." Minerva smiled as she shamelessly helped herself to the popcorn that Albus was holding, earning an amused scowl from him.

"… _and here come the Hogwarts Team led by Cedric Diggory…"_

Minerva tuned out Bagman's excited recitation of names as she glanced over to the other two School Heads. "Olympe, are you looking forwards to this?"

"Oui, I am." Maxine smiled as she accepted an oversized goblet from Hagrid, a goblet that still looked rather small in her hand. "it will be… _magnifique_."

"I'm sure it will." Scamander agreed from where he was sitting beyond Olympe Maxine, a bottle of _Honest Abe's Butterbeer_ firmly in hand. "You can see that Krum is watching very intently since he will be going up against Peltier and he wants to see how she plays. Zabini blindsided him with him taking directions from Potter and Krum refuses to fail to learn from experience."

"… _and Rolanda Hooch watches as the two Champions shake hands.  
The teams take to the air and Hooch opens the box. She releases the  
Snitch and now the Bludgers rise into play as she grasps the Quaffle  
in preparation for the start of the game…"_

"This should be exciting." Albus noted as he leaned forwards. "Don't you agree, Severus?"

The normally-dour DADA teacher in question gave a slight nod, his eyes tracking Draco as he accelerated forwards.

" _Malfoy grabs the Quaffle almost from out of Delaceour's hand  
_ _and throws it backwards, straight to Miss Weasley who goes into  
_ _a dive! Malfois swoops in… and a perfectly timed Sloth Grip Roll  
_ _means Weasley is past and mowing the lawn! Du'lac refuses to  
_ _intercept but moves to block… Malfoy joins Weasley, then peels  
_ _away in a textbook Ghost Pass, but Du'lac isn't fooled and calls  
_ _for Malfois and Delaceour to box him in as… Weasley pulls into a  
_ _Rising Rocket! It's a perfect Wraith Rush with all three Beauxbaton  
_ _Chasers hopelessly out of position! She zooms in… GOAL!_

" _Ten points to Hogwarts!_

" _Delacour looking incredibly irritated as Gaston passes the Quaffle  
_ _to Du'lac who accelerates towards the Hogwarts hoops. Malfois and  
_ _Delacour pull in to flank her in a Hawkshead Attacking Formation.  
_ _Weasley and Malfoy set up for interception… Du'lac loses the Quaffle  
_ _to a perfectly-aimed Bludger fired by Mr Weasley! Diggory grabs it  
_ _and heads straight for the Beauxbaton hoops with only Gaston in his  
_ _way… Second goal!_

" _Twenty points to Hogwarts and Beauxbatons look_ furious _!"_

"Merde!" The goblet that Madam Maxine was holding dented under the force of her grip, spilling some of the fruit blend over her fingers.

.

"Go Hogwarts!" Harry cheered as Gaston plucked the descending Quaffle out of the air and passed it to Malfois. "Show them how it's… huh?"

"Was that a Wake Dash?" Peter asked.

"It was." Harry agreed. "Straight through the Chasers and she rolled out _just_ in time to avoid the Bludger being deflected straight back into her. She's _good_."

"But Neville's better." Diana smirked as the teen in question used his Ape form to grab the Quaffle before it could make it through the hoop, then hurled it almost halfway across the field to where Diggory was waiting to catch it.

.

"Is that cheating?" Scamander asked curiously as Longbottom pulled himself back onto his broomstick before reverting back into his human form.

"Nope." Hagrid rumbled. "Didna use his form to attack, so not cheatin' in the slightest."

"I think that we're going to see a lot more Animagi become Quidditch players soon…" Scamander mused. "And vice-versa, now that I come to think about it…"

"It will depend on what advantages, if any, their animal forms can bestow on them, Theseus." Albus pointed out. "I think that it'll mainly be apes and bird animagi. Apes for the reach and grip, bird for if they are seperated from their broomstick."

"Makes sense." the Durmstrang Headmaster agreed.

" _And Diggory swoops in to score, but Gaston blocks him… and Malfoy  
_ _fires the Quaffle through the center hoop! I completely missed that  
_ _Ghost Pass… and it looks like everyone else did as well!_

" _Thirty – zero to Hogwarts!"_

Zabini circled above the action, his eyes darting round as he searched for the Snitch.

"Without Potter to lead you, you have no chance, _leetle_ boy." Peltier scoffed as she overtook him.

Without bothering to answer, Zabini rolled backwards into a dive, flattening himself against the broomstick to minimize air drag as the grass raced towards him.

"… _Zabini diving towards the Hogwarts hoops, has he seen the Snitch?  
_ _Peltier close behind as Zabini steepens the dive… he's pulling out! It was  
_ _a Wronski Feint and Peltier pulling out too, missing the ground as she…  
_ _Peltier pulls sideways to avoid the hoop post, but clips it! Peltier spins  
_ _into the wall and drops the the ground! Is she out cold?_

" _No! Peltier pulls herself to her knees, looking dazed but she's reaching  
_ _for her broom… she's not going to let the wall stop her from playing!  
_ _What a wonderfully determined girl she is! She mounts her broom and  
_ _starts to climb… but it's game over! Hogwarts wins with Zabini holding  
_ _the Snitch with a score of two-hundred to zero!_

" _What a display of tactics and strategy this match was!_

" _A victory for Hogwarts puts them in the lead with only one more match  
_ _remaining!_

" _Ladies and gentlewizards, please give a round of applause for the two  
_ _teams who have fought hard today to entertain us!"_

Zabini landed, then found himself being congratulated by his team-mates.

"You did good, Zabini." Ginny gave an approving nod. "Of course, you know that Cho's got herself an S5 too and has been practicing on it, right? She's going to do her best to beat you next year."

"I'll have to watch out for that." Blaise grinned wryly. "So, that's it, right? We all done?"

"Pretty much." Diggory clapped the younger boy on his shoulder. "Hope you don't take this the wrong way, but although I respect your skills, it won't be you I'll be cheering for."

Blaise pouted. "I thought that what we had meant something to you…"

As Cedric sputtered denials, Fred and George burst out laughing.

"We may have found the third new Marauder, my twin."

"We may indeed, my twin, and who would have expected it to be a snake?"

"Then again, what better house for a cunning prankster to be in?"

Cedric burst out laughing at Blaise's expression of panicked confusion.


	37. Into The Lake

" _Good morning and welcome to MERLIN, the Malfoy Educational Regional, Local and International News Network, where we promise to tell you the truth. My name is Marietta Davis…"_

" _And I am Kirkland Jenkins."_ The wizard sitting next to her chimed in. _"The main stories this morning. Lord Potter returns to Hogwarts to participate in the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament."_

" _The Ministry of Magic reveals the memorial to those who fell in the fight against Tom Riddle."_

" _The Chudley Cannons announce that they are going to move to a larger stadium."_

" _And a full week has passed without the_ Obliviators _needing to be deployed…"_

The screen muted as everyone in the Great Hall stared at Harry, who ignored them as he munched on a slice of toast. After swallowing, he looked round with an air of confusion. "What?"

"If I may?" Draco stood up. "Lord Potter, we have several questions regarding the… _incident_ and I dare say that the vast majority of those here hope you can answer them."

Harry took another bite of his toast and nodded for Draco to continue.

"Riddle referred to you as the _Last Son of Atlantis_. Were you Blood-adopted by James and Lilly Potter, perchance?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, but I arrived as a baby. I do not have any real memories of my birth-parents, although I know that they sacrificed themselves to send me to safety."

"And the unusual magic you can use… is that because of your unique heritage?"

"I believe it is, yes." Harry agreed, hiding a smirk at how the truthful answers he was giving were allowing everyone else to continue with their assumptions.

Draco nodded thoughtfully. "I believe that I understand. However, Lilly _was_ pregnant… correct?"

"A Death Eater hit her with a spell that caused her true-born son to be stillborn." Harry supplied, noting how the silence in the hall became even more intense. "I can only assume that my arrival on the same day was due to Potter Luck."

Minerva snorted with laughter despite herself while several of the other teachers quickly tried to hide their smiles.

"Potter… luck?" Draco looked taken aback.

"The Potters were known for getting into complicated situations and back out again virtually unscathed. It was the simple situations that gave them trouble" Minerva supplied. "Henry Potter was well-known for getting into trouble and back out, he served as part of the Magical Defense Force in the First World War while still serving on the Wizengamot. He was the one who accidently uncovered a plan by the _Schattenbündnis_ to shatter the Stone of Scone, which would have rendered Britain vulnerable to magical assault. He quite literally fell into their hidden base and was the only one to leave, having managed to douse all the lights and get them to take each other out in the confusion. Fleamont had several interesting encounters including some with those loyal to Grindlewald and as for James… well, until he was killed by Riddle in single combat, he was known as _Death Eater's Bane_ for his ability to walk away from combat with only minor injuries. Potter luck… I can believe it."

"I… see…" Draco looked somewhat taken aback. "Thank you for the explanation, Headmistress."

Minerva nodded at Draco, then made a slight hand motion to indicate that he should be seated. As the Slytherin sat down, Minerva rose to her feet.

"The Second Task will begin at eleven o'clock, could the Champions… and Lord Potter… please report to the lake by half past ten. In addition, could the volunteers please go with Hagrid, wetsuits to go under your robes have been delivered. These will keep you warm and monitor your vital signs. Should you be in any danger, the wetsuits will function as Portkeys to take you to safety. The stands will open at ten o'clock for the audience. Refreshments will be available, thanks to Lord Black.

"That is all. Thank you."

"You'd better rescue me." Ginny teased Harry as she rose from her bench.

"See you later." Harry smiled.

"You'd better…" Ginny shot back over her shoulder as she strutted off.

"I think she's got a crush on you." Luna noted and Harry sputtered into his orange juice. Somehow managing not to laugh, Neville passed a towel over to Harry.

* * *

.

"Hello!" Ludo Bagman bustled into the tent happily. "Lord Potter, may I say that it was a real relief that you finally got rid of _You-know-who_. Well done!"

Harry shrugged.

"So, the Second Task!" Ludo continued as the Champions ambled over to join them. "As you know, each of you is to rescue a Hostage from the depths of the Black Lake. Lord Potter, Miss Ginny Weasley is your Hostage. Mr Krum, Annika Olsen is waiting to be rescued. Miss Delaceour, your sister Gabrielle is down there and Mr Diggory has…"

"Cho Chang." Cedric confirmed with a slightly goofy grin and a distant look. "She informed me last night that I had better rescue her…"

"Rules are that whatever you are now wearing or carrying is what you are limited to, so I do hope that none of you forgot your wands!"

Four lengths of magically-conducting wood were held up in response to Ludo's joking comment.

"Excellent! Now, let me show you something _amazing_."

Ludo stepped aside to let four _things_ float in, each one looking like a heavily stylized bird. Harry smiled in recognition of the sharp-winged ovoids that had a large lens set into the front.

"Camera units."

"Indeed they are." Ludo confirmed as the four devices floated out of the tent. "Remote operated. They'll follow you through the lake and let everyone see in real-time what you are doing."

"Okay, someone has to say it." Cedric sighed after several silent seconds had gone by. "That's rather cool."

"I'll be commenting from the shore and everyone will be watching on the screens." Ludo was almost bouncing up and down in excitement. "Don't worry, one of those cameras is already with the four Hostages. You'll be able to see them on one of the screens when we start."

"Zat eez good to hear." Fleur commented.

"Well, someone'll be back in about a quarter of an hour to lead you out, so check you have everything you need!" Ludo smiled as he made his way out of the tent, the camera units following him.

"Just so you know," Harry caught the attention of the other three, "Since I don't care for the points, I'll simply hang around the hostages until about five minutes before the task is due to end, then bring back any that haven't been rescued."

"How you intend do that?" Viktor asked curiously. "You swim well?"

Harry stretched out his arms, revealing the bracers he was wearing under his over-robe, then he rose to float several feet into the air before landing again.

"You have a flight set." Cedric face-palmed. "Let me guess, it can work underwater too?"

"The _Taniwha_ line of Flight Belt Sets include a special diadem that duplicates the Bubblehead Charm, allowing the wearer to literally _fly_ underwater." Harry explained as he pulled said diadem out of his inner robe pocket and put it on, causing a slight shimmer to encompass his head. "The whole set is powered by the users magic but has an emergency Portkey function that takes the wearer to St Mungo's if the user's magic is depleted or if the user triggers the Portkey function manually."

"Cool." Cedric noted, then he sighed. "Too late for me to get one, though. How long have they been on sale?"

"Since just after the first Task." Harry smirked, causing all three Champions to facepalm.

"When task is over, I buying one." Krum grumbled.

"You may need to have the Portkey function reset to take you to one of the hospitals in Bulgaria." Harry noted. "Apparently, there's no extra charge for doing that."

" _Definitely_ buying one." Krum confirmed as the other two Champions nodded in agreement.

"They'll probably ban the use of flight-assist items for the third Task." Harry pointed out as he removed the diadem and returned it to its pocket, pulling out a small earpiece instead.

"Still buying one."

"By the way, anyone interested in an emergency Portkey?" Harry held up a trio of bangles. "Just pull the small decoration off and it'll take you directly to the medical tent."

" _Merci_."

"Thanks, Harry."

* * *

.

" _AAAAND here come the Champions!"_ Ludo Bagman's voice echoed across the Hogwarts grounds as he almost bounced up and down in excitement at the Announcer's Podium. _"Leading the way is the Quidditch Seeker Viktor Krum, representing Durmstrang! Flanking him are Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts and Fleur Delaceour of Beauxbaton while the final contestant Lord Harry Potter brings up the rear!"_

Harry glanced round as he followed the others to the newly-upgraded pier which was no longer made of wooden planks (with several missing) but was now a sheet of near-transparent silver-tinged crystal edged with metal and supported by a pair of metal ladders near the end which vanished into the depths of the lake while the pier itself terminated in a raised bench set at right-angles to the end.

"Impressive." Fleur noted.

"When did they do _that_?" Cedric mused. "It wasn't like that a week ago…"

Walking along the pier, Krum gave a grunt of satisfaction at the sight of four boxes underneath the bench, boxes marked with names.

" _And the Champions make their way to the starting point."_ Ludo announced. _"They're removing their over-robes… and Lord Potter is wearing a Flight Belt set! Surely that is against the… huh? Huh. Apparently that_ is _within the rules. Krum is wearing a swimming outfit while Diggory has what I'm told is a Muggle-inspired wetsuit that helps keep the wearer warm underwater. Delaceour looking radient in a rather skimpy swimsuit… which apparently has runes sewn into it to help her keep warm underwater!  
_ " _The Champions are ready and the Task will begin in three, two, one… GO!"_

At the word _Go_ , Harry rose into the air as below him, the three true Champions dived into the water, small splashes marking the camera drones entering the water behind them. Careful not to accidentally exceed what his flight belt was capable of, Harry drifted forwards until he was above the hostages, his eyesight allowing him to position himself directly above the quartet awaiting rescue, then he carefully donned the diadem and once the inbuilt charm had stabilised, he let himself drop down, sliding into the water.

As he descended, the light quickly faded to the point that anyone without his unique advantages would have been unable to see much further than a few feet. Reaching for his belt, Harry pulled out a small torch and flicked it on, twisting it into lantern mode so that it illuminated the area around him even as the firm yet gentle currents in the lake tried to push him off course.

Motion above him caught his attention and Harry looked up to the the Great Squid maneuvering round to look at him. For a long moment, Harry simply returned the gaze, his eyes meeting the eye as large as his head that was focused on him, then the Squid waved one tentacle at him before swimming away. Harry watched it leave, then looked down as the Merfolk village rose up to meet him, the Merfolk looking at him in confusion as he touched down beside the hostages.

"Hello." Harry lifted one hand in greeting and one of the Merfolk slowly swam forwards.

" _You are here for one of the hostages?"_

Harry nodded as the translation played through his earpiece.

"I am, but not immediately. When there is five minutes remaining, I shall take my hostage and any yet to be rescued. Until then, I shall simply wait."

" _Waiting for almost an hour? You will be bored."_

"I thought of that." Harry took out a small disc from his belt and placed it on the ground, stepping back as it projected a holographic chess board. "I don't suppose any of you play either Draughts, Chess or Shogi?"

" _I play Chess!"_ an excited voice announced and a younger merman swam up. _"I learned from one of the Ravenclaws, he was a good teacher!"_

"Then by all means, let us play." Harry smiled. "May I offer white to you?"

" _I accept."_


	38. Watching The Task

" _The Champions are ready and the Task will begin in three, two, one… GO!"_

Hermione sighed as Harry flew forwards while the three Champions dove into the lake.

"Dammit, Harry." She shook her head. "Why do you insist on making it look so simple?"

"Nice move by Cedric." Neville noted and Hermione looked at the screen dedicated to the Hogwarts Champion.

"Bubblehead Charm?"

"Bubblehead Charm." Luna confirmed, reaching across to steal some of Neville's popcorn. "Fleur's doing the same, but look at Krum!"

"That is quite some self-transfiguration." Hermione's voice was filled with admiration as she watched the half-shark Champion knifing into the depths, leaving the other two far behind. "He must be _extremely_ skilled to pull that off."

"Harry just entered the lake." Luna chirped. "Look at the map! He's _right_ above where Ginny is!"

"…wonder how he managed that?" Hermione mused.

.

"Potter _really_ planned ahead." Draco mused. "Flight set that lets him breath underwater… I _need_ to get one of those."

"Why?" Pansy Parkinson asked curiously.

"Just… because." Draco admitted almost ruefully. "But look how useful it is. He can fly without needing to hold onto anything, thus leaving his hands free for wand use. He can't be knocked off it. He can use it underwater without the risk of drowning… the tactical and strategic implications of that are _incredible_. If _he_ can do it, then I feel certain that the Aurors can either do the same now or will be able to very, very soon. Given that some of the darker families have Wards that reach out over lakes, it means that Aurors can simply come in underwater and thus under the Wards without alerting anyone that they have gained entry."

Draco gave Pansy a sideways look. "I do believe that your father's house has Wards that cover part of a pond… do the Wards extend _all_ the way down?"

Pansy turned pale.

"I thought not." Draco shrugged. "Having Wards set inside walls or rock is one thing, water with its constant movement is quite another. Each additional foot you go deeper means you need half again as much magic to cover it. Your father may need to tweak exactly what Wards go where."

Pansy nodded jerkily, then frowned. "…how?"

"I've been _studying_." Draco replied calmly as he watched Harry touch down among the Merfolk. "I would suggest that you do the same, Pansy. The old ways are no longer useful and the sooner the rest of the House realizes that, the better for all of us.

Pansy sagged. "You know I hate all that writing and stuff."

"Then ask Potter if you can learn more of that fighting style of his since you seem to be doing well at it so far." Draco shrugged. "I'll even pay for a Staff so that you can learn that as well. In fact, I'll be arranging something similar for Crabbe and Goyle, having seen just how much they're outclassed by Potter and his friends."

Pansy gave the duo in question a disbelieving look. "They're going to learn Staff-work?"

"Given the amount of concentration needed for it, no." Draco shrugged. "But learning how to fight Muggle-style will give them options that they don't currently have… is that a _chessboard_?"

.

"Is that a _chessboard_?" Olympe asked in disbelief.

"Oh, how marvelous." Albus leaned back with a smile. "Someone else to play against."

"You're just tired of me beating you all the time." Minerva snarked over her shoulder and Albus nodded in agreement.

"Oh, indeed, my dear. You have come along marvelously since I introduced you to the game in your first year."

"Looks like the Merboy is taking white." Theseus noted as another screen materialized, this one showing a representation of the chessboard as seen from above. "Muggle Chess…"

"That looks like the Ruy Lopez opening." Minerva mused as Harry moved his Queenside knight.

"You may be right, but should we not be watching our Champion?" Albus chuckled. "I'm sure the chess game is being recorded."

Minerva sighed. "Oh, drat you, Albus. Why do you have to make sense at a time like this?"

.

"Go, Cedric!" Susan Bones cheered as Cedric swam round a large underwater rock crowned by weed, then she gasped. "Look at Delaceour!"

"What are _those_?" Her best friend Hannah Abbot gasped as the French Veela tried to fend off several demonic things attacking her.

"They're really trying to hurt her!" Susan winced as a slashing claw opened a long gash on Fleur's leg, blood oozing out into the water. "Her air-charm!"

The bubble of air surrounding Fleur's head popped as a clawed hand thrust through it as the creature attempted to grab her hair. Fleur managed to slap it away even as a set of fangs sank into her thigh, then she grabbed at her wrist and vanished in an eye-twisting motion.

"… _and Delaceour uses what seems to be a Portkey! I don't know where she  
_ _has gone with it, but… what? Fleur Delaceour has forfeited the task and is  
_ _receiving medical attention in the Medical Tent. The French Champion has  
_ _been forced to retreat by a very vicious nest of Grindylows…"_

"Poor girl." Susan winced. "Those things were _nasty_."

"Krum's reached the hostages!" Hannah almost squealed.

.

"You have my condolences." Theseus noted as the screen that Fleur had been on vanished.

" _Merci beaucoup_." Olympe sighed, then she chuckled. "Your Champion seems…"

"Bemused, I'd say." Albus supplied. "Or befuddled, possibly."

"I had no idea that a shark could look so disconcerted." Theseus agreed as on the screen, Krum slowly circled the chess-playing duo before changing course and heading to the hostages. As the audience watched, Krum came to a stop just below where Annika Olsen was floating and bit through the cord holding her in place, then he managed to use one of his hand-flippers to seize her arm and began swimming diagonally upwards, aiming for the pier with her floating along by his side.

Olympe glowered at Theseus, who was valiantly trying (but admittedly failing) to not look smug.

.

Madam Pomphrey stepped back and slipped her wand back into her apron-holster.

"There you go, dear. All healed up."

" _Merci_." Fleur stood up and gave a couple of tentative stretches before giving the surprised mediwitch a quick hug of gratitude. "I need to get my robe…"

The robe in question _pop_ ped into existence and Poppy smiled.

"Thank you, Dilly."

" _Oui, merci,_ Dilly." Fleur echoed as she picked up the robe and donned it. Smoothing it down, she curtsied to Poppy, then turned and walked out of the medical tent, making her way towards the Judges Table.

As she approached the table where the Heads of Schools were seated, Fleur glanced over her shoulder and paused as she saw her sister floating peacefully underwater on a screen, the angle happening to show that just a dozen feet away, Potter was engaging in a fierce game of chess with a young Merman, both of them almost scowling as they stared at the board of light hovering between them.

"… _Je n'est pas_ …"

"Fleur!"

At Madam Maxine's (relatively) quiet call, Fleur resumed her journey and quickly moved to stand before the desk.

"We saw what happened." Minerva stated gently and Fleur gave a slight smile. "You fought well, but the Grindylows were rather more vicious than normal."

"I shall ask Chief _Deep-Currents-Run-Strong_ to do another cull." Albus sighed from where he was sat with several others behind the judges. "Grindylows become more violent the more that there are. For them to attack you like that… it is time to reduce their numbers again, I fear."

"Who is the Merman playing chess with Potter?" Fleur asked, having regained her mental balance.

"I'm not entirely certain, but I think that's _Sparkling-Waves-In-Moonlight_." Albus stroked his beard thoughtfully. "He was barely arms-length when I encountered him last. Maybe I should speak to Evans Enterprises about a waterproof communications projector for the Merfolk. Wave seems to be remarkably gifted and I would enjoy playing against him too. I wonder who taught him?"

.

"Cedric's made it to the Hostages!" Hannah gasped, her eyes wide as on the screen, the Hogwarts Champion waved at Harry, who nodded back at him.

"What's he do… oh, that's clever." Susan noted as Cedric, rather than simply cutting the rope that held Cho-Chang, used his wand to transfigure it into a harness. Using his free hand, he caught the trailing cord and tied it to his belt, then began swimming towards the distant pier.

.

"Using transfiguration while still maintaining a Bubblehead Charm." Theseus paused to take a sip of coffee. You have some very gifted students, Minerva."

"Young Diggory always did pay attention in my classes." Minerva noted with quiet pride. "He… your Champion has returned."

"So he has." Theseus agreed as Viktor, now back to fully human, climbed the ladder up onto the pier, then reached down and almost effortlessly pulled Anneka out of the water so that she was soon standing beside him, then the duo began walking towards the Judges desk, Viktor pausing briefly as he saw Fleur standing just outside the medical tent.

* * *

.

"Good game." Harry noted with a smile as his opponent made a motion that caused the white king to fall over, signifying that Harry had won.

" _You are very good."_ Sparkling-Waves admitted. _"I would be happy to play against you any time."_

Harry scooped up the projector and deactivated it before returning it to his belt.

"If the Chief doesn't object, I can provide a computer for the village. I can make it look like a stone table or anything that you want them to and it will allow anyone to communicate with anyone who has a phone or computer. I know for a fact that there are several chess clubs which use computers to play games even though the players are in different countries. They would also allow you to read books, listen to music, store your own stories in both verbal and written form for future generations… even order things like tools and luxury items, although you may need to work out how to earn money to pay for that last…"

" _We accept the offer."_ The Merman Chief finally spoke. _"We shall place this…_ computer _… in a special hall for all to use. Our storyteller is getting old and her apprentice is struggling to memorize the tales."_

"Traditions are important." Harry agreed. "Jor-El, since you're monitoring this event, I'm paying for the computer. Send a top-of-the-line holographic interface unit… make it look like a large crystal. It should be here within a few days, one of my family golems will deliver it."

" _Thank you."_

Harry looked at his wrist and nodded.

"Only a few minutes to go until the task ends. It looks like Fleur isn't able to make it, so I'll take Ginny and the other girl. You may want to pull everyone back, I'll be using a rather unique skill to take them with me and I don't want any of you to end up out of the water."

" _Your concern in appreciated."_ The Chief motioned for the other Merfolk to pull back as Harry glided over to the hostages. Untying Ginny, he used the rope to secure her to his back, then he collected the other girl, holding her in his left arm as his magic gathered around him, forming two symbols.

.

"Those are the runes _Lor_ and _Ul_! He used those at the end of his duel with Lockhart!" Filius leaned forwards, almost vibrating with excitement. "I didn't know that he could use his magic underwater!"

Even as he finished his sentence, Harry reched out to tap the glowing icon before him and a portal opened up beneath him, the weight of the water pushing him through it to appear several feet above the pier in a column of falling water. The Portal vanished and everyone looked at the pier, where Harry was stood at the end, water running off him and the two he had rescued.

" _And Lord Potter finishes the task almost exactly on the hour, bringing not only Ginny Weasley but Gabrielle Delacour with him in an_ incredible _display of Atlantean magic!"_ Bagman was almost bouncing up and down with excitement. _"Fleur runs out to grab her sister in a hug as Harry sets young Miss Weasley down… and time is up! All the hostages have been rescued and once again, Lord Potter shows us his amazing Atlantean magic! What a fantastic Task this has been!"_

"How are we meant to score _that_?" Theseus asked almost rhetorically.


	39. Political Shifts

"Harry!" Sirius almost bounced out of his seat as his Godson emerged from the connection room that linked their two mansions. "Thanks for getting here early!"

"You did say it was important." Harry smiled back, then he turned and gave a slight bow. "Lord Longbottom."

"Lord Potter." Frank replied, equally formally. "Lord Hagrid."

"…jes Hagrid." The half-giant rumbled in an embarrassed voice as he stepped into the room, resplendent in his Wizengamot robes. "Sirius, good to see yer recovering."

"I was feeling a little _wuff_ for a while." Sirius snarked and Harry face-palmed while Hagrid chuckled at the joke.

" _Thank_ you for that." Frank sighed. "Harry, I was impressed by your performance in the second Task and using that Portal of yours to get back to the pier… brilliant. I have to ask, though, what are the limitations to that spell?"

"I have to either see the target area or have been there." Harry sank into one of the armchairs as he spoke. "As for range… Apparition has a longer range. I can cover maybe a hundred miles with a Portal, possibly a bit more."

"Shorter range, but you can bypass Wards easily." Frank noted. "That Atlantean magic of yours is certainly very interesting."

Harry shrugged. "It has its uses. So, Sirius, why did you want us here early? Is there a crisis forming in the Wizengamot?"

"Well.." Sirius looked slightly uncomfortable. "It's more in the manner of a heads-up. Hagrid, I don't know if you remember Albert Runcorn…"

"Ah 'member him." Hagrid growled. "Used'ta bully the Hufflepuffs whenever he thought he could get awa' with it. Had ta pull him offa them a time or two. What's the little snot doin' now?"

"He's trying to start a motion to remove anyone not of human ancestry from the Wizengamot." Sirius sighed, pausing as Hagrid growled. "Yeah, he's trying to pull us towards the Pureblood philosophy again."

"But… why would he target Hagrid?" Frank asked in confusion.

"He's targeting _me_." Harry said as the facts slotted into place. "He's probably going to argue that as an Atlantean, I'm not human and therefore shouldn't be in a position to control humans. If he gets that through, he'll be in a position to try and remove my Lordship and try to get me disected to find out how my magic works so that he and his allies can use it themselves."

The others stared at him in shocked understanding and agreement.

"The problem is that according to everything I know about him, Runcorn isn't bright enough to plan that far ahead." Harry mused. "So… who's behind him? Who's pulling his strings? And why?"

.

"Draco, are you ready?"

"Coming, mother!" Draco called as he glanced into the mirror, ensuring that his illusion of hair was still in place. Not having to spend almost an hour teasing it into perfection had freed him up to study and plan for the future.

Pausing just long enough to straighten the purple-edged black robes that marked him as a confirmed future member of the Wizengamot being represented by a Regent, Draco stepped out of his room and flew down the corridor. Floating over the bannister, Draco descended to ground level, touching down just next to his mother, who was looking at him with amused exasperation.

"If you keep relying on that flight-belt of yours, you're going to end up getting fat and lazy." She half-scolded, although the way she was trying not to smile took all the sting out of it.

"It's fun, mother." Draco tilted his head slightly. "Flying without a broomstick is quite liberating."

"It is indeed." Narcissa agreed before she could stop herself and Draco smirked, but pointedly remained silent.

"Come on." Narcissa half-sighed. "Let's go."

"Yes, mother." Draco adjusted his robes once more before following his mother to the Floo.

It would be interesting to see if that anonymous letter he had sent to that idiot Runcorn caused any trouble. He had considered keeping that particular plan for use after he had claimed his Lordship, but given how popular Potter was and how he kept becoming even more acclaimed by the ignorant masses, the chances of it working were somewhere between _laughable_ and _Severus Snape being voted Most Beloved Teacher In The World_.

At least it would let him see who would be useful as allies or cats-paws in the future.

Picking up a pinch of Floo Powder, he threw it into the fireplace, stated his destination and vanished into the suddenly-green flames.

* * *

.

_**Runcorn Retreats!  
** _ _By Melanie Flitwicket_

_Yesterday, the Wizengamot saw an incredibly misjudged piece of  
_ _legislation put forwards by Lord Albert Runcorn. The_ Wizardkind  
Protection Act _would have barred anyone whose grandparents  
_ _were not all human from ever holding a seat on the governing body  
_ _of the Wizarding World, an act which if implemented, would have  
_ _affected two of the most popular Lords seated on that august body,  
_ _Lord Harry Potter and Lord Rubeus Hagrid._

_Everyone knows that Lord Potter hails from the ancient lost city of  
_ _Atlantis, a magical civilization lost to war and time but from whom  
_ _the oldest families claim descent. When his birth-parents saw that  
_ _Atlantis would fall, they placed their newborn son in a special ship  
_ _that carried him through time and space to the Potters, who having  
_ _lost their own trueborn son, blood-adopted him as their own. With  
_ _the legacy of Atlantis in his veins and magic, some have claimed that  
_ _he is not truly human._

_Lord Rubeus Hagrid (who was awarded the Lordship that had been  
_ _stripped from the inbred Gaunt family due to the crimes that the Last  
_ _Gaunt, Tom Marvolo Riddle, committed against him) was the second  
_ _who would have been affected, being born from the union of a Wizard  
_ _and a Giantess. Those who know him can testify that he does not have  
_ _a single evil bone in his body and is beloved by all who can see past his  
_ _imposing stature._

_The motion was defeated by a super-majority of votes with only four  
_ _members of the Wizengamot supporting Runcorn and three choosing  
_ _to abstain from voting._

_In a statement afterwards, Lord Black had this to say._

"The motion put forth by the Honorable Member Lord Runcorn was one  
in which he believed, but which, in my opinion, was fatally flawed. If it had  
been passed, it would have been the first step in a path that could easily  
have ended in a world that Tom Riddle would have approved of."

_At this time, Lord Runcorn is unavailable for comment…_

"…and you were worried." Neville chuckled as he looked up from the copy of the Daily Prophet that he was reading.

"Given some of the things that have happened to me in the past, wouldn't you be if you were in my shoes?" Harry asked and Neville frowned in thought before slowly nodding.

"You may have a point there." He admitted.

"At least the motion's been defeated soundly." Harry leaned back in his chair with a slight smile. "Given how soundly it was defeated, it'll be _decades_ before anyone tries anything like it again."

.

Draco sat in his favorite chair and considered the recent fiasco at the Wizengamot.

He hadn't expected such a one-sided vote and it had come as quite a shock to him. Fortunately, he hadn't needed to say anything and his mother had voted against the movement, thus placing the Malfoys firmly on the winning side rather than marking them out as being part of the shattered and significantly reduced yet still active Pureblood movement.

The four who had supported Runcorn were obviously useless as anything other than unguided spells. While their obvious bigotry and hatred of Potter made them theoretically useful as allies, the eagerness that they showed in their attempt to take down Potter demonstrated that they had no real grasp of subtlety or strategy.

The abstainers, on the other hand, were worth keeping a close eye on. By refusing to vote, they had effectively stated that they were opposed to Potter and Black, but by not voting in favor of the act, they had declared that they were not morally bankrupt like Runcorn's Rabble.

They were certainly worth watching and, should they prove to be useful, they could be cultivated as possible allies in the future.

As for the ones who had voted against the act, several of them had done so with expressions that showed that they disliked being on the same side as Potter and Black but were willing to put that hatred aside for the good of the Wizarding World, an action that showed that they were capable of actually considering the consequences of their actions rather than relying on emotion or spinal reflex.

It was that last group that held the ones that Draco would find his strongest allies in.

Intelligent allies were, after all, far more valuable than any spell in the long run.

A knock on the door caught his attention and he looked up.

"Blaise."

"Draco." His fellow student returned the greeting. "I believe that you mentioned a way I could part-trade my broom for a Firebolt."

"You've decided to concentrate on becoming a Seeker, then?" Draco asked as he rose to his feet and Blaise nodded.

"I've thought hard about it… and yes. I've spoken to Krum and he says that he'll give me a few pointers if I get, in his words, a half-way decent broom. I don't think that he regards the S5 as a true broom."

"I can see his point." Draco tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Comet did start off as a general-purpose Broomstick company and even though they produce specialized lines, all of them are derived from their traditional models. Something like the Firebolt, however, is designed from first principles as a Quidditch or Racing Broom, thus in that role they are indeed superior."

" _How_ do you know all this stuff?" Blaise shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm going to become Lord Malfoy once I graduate." Draco smirked. "Having a broad base of knowledge confers a considerable advantage and what sort of Slytherin would I be if I did not seek out all the advantages that I could?"

"True." Blaise admitted almost ruefully. "Aside from Professor Snape, you are the most Slytherin person I know."

"I have had to study hard to become so." Draco admitted ruefully. "I used to believe that I knew all that I needed to know, then it was demonstrated to me that I had massively over-estimated my abilities. Since then, I have paid a great deal of attention to things I would have ignored, such as the _thirty-six_ _stratagems_."

"I've never heard of those." Blaise admitted.

"They're the writings of a Muggle Tactician who lived centuries ago, a man from China named Sun-Tsu." Draco began his explanation. "Although they sound simple, there is a huge amount of depth in them. Although I won't go into details, I will say that I recently used the tactic known as _watch the fires from across the river_. A simple move that allowed me to see many of the alliances in the Wizengamot, even the hidden ones…"

* * *

.

Albert Runcorn nursed a pint as he sulked in the corner of the _Immaculate Line_. Although the beer before him tasted fairly foul, it helped him to focus on the disaster that had befallen him.

According to legend, the Atlanteans had been as far beyond the Magicals as the Magicals were beyond those mud-grubbing Muggles. Voldemort had demonstrated that it was possible for a Magical to use the power of the Atlanteans and Runcorn had hoped to use it to return the Magical World to its rightful place, ruling the world as the Muggles served his every whim as they were intended to.

But it hadn't happened that way.

He still didn't understand what had gone wrong. A single sacrifice in exchange for eternal greatness wasn't that big a deal, was it? But no, those morons who wore the purple robes didn't agree. They couldn't see the bigger picture that he could, they couldn't understand the damage that the Magical World was taking as they aped the Muggles instead of ruling over them with wand and staff.

Riddle may have been too eager to kill, but he had the right idea. Magic made right and those who were magical should be in charge.

Why didn't anyone else see that?

Why?


	40. The Final Match

Ludo Bagman stood on the raised dais and held the microphone up to his lips.

"Ladies and Gentlewizards, respected faculty, boys and girls and honored guests, welcome to the final Tri-Wizard Quidditch Match! Today we have the Beauxbatons School Quidditch Team and the Durmstrang Institute Quidditch Team taking to the field to demonstrate their skills to us all!  
"First to emerge are the Durmstrang Eagles led by Tri-Wizard Champion and world-class Seeker Viktor Krum! With him is the Keeper and Team Captain Piotr Pavlov, the chasers Annika Olsen, Petrine Ahlstrom and Viveka Stolt behind them and the Beaters Laurens Poliakoff and Igor Munter bringing up the rear.  
"The Beauxbatons team strides onto the pitch led by fellow Tri-Wizard Champion Fleaur Delacour flanked by her fellow Chasers are Maria Du'Lac and Estelle Malfois. The Beaters are Johann Lacroix and Marcelle Janvier with Seeker Marjorie Peltier and Keeper Maurice Gaston rounding out the team!  
"Rolanda Hooch swoops down to the central circle where Krum and Delacour are waiting. The two Captains shake hands and mount their brooms, Delacour moving to a classic Chaser's starting position while Pavlov arrows straight for the Durmstrang Hoops.  
"And the Bludgers are released! The Snitch darts into the air and vanishes and now Professor Hooch takes the Quaffle and prepares to throw it… and the match has started!  
"Delacour feints towards the Quaffle, but blocks Ahlstrom while Du'Lac darts in and grabs it, performing an instant pass to Malfois!"

.

"You know," Harry mused as he accepted a container of popcorn from Hermione, "This reminds me that I need to see to the training of my replacement and _soon_."

"Why?" Neville asked curiously.

"Because I'll be leaving Hogwarts once I've taken my OWLs in order to concentrate more on running Evans Enterprises." Harry replied, earning several _looks_ from his friends.

"But… what about your NEWTs?" Hermione finally managed.

"Independent study in my spare time." Harry replied almost instantly. "I have given it quite a bit of thought, Hermione. I can do more good out there, helping to heal the chasm between the Magical and Mundane worlds, than I can by remaining here. Plus, given the _other_ things I still need to learn…"

Hermione reluctantly nodded in agreement. "What does Sirius think about it?"

"He argued against it, but I managed to convince him." Harry smiled. "Of course, he… wow!"

"That was an incredible save." Neville commented as Pavlov lobbed the Quaffle across to Stolt, who promptly accelerated towards the Beauxbaton hoops, tucking in closely behind Munter as he fended off a Bludger, then rolling underneath and racing ahead. "So… where's the Snitch?"

"Behind the left pole at the Durmstrang end." Harry absently answered as he watched Gaston positioning himself to intercept the imminent shot.

"I see it!" Luna exclaimed with excitement. "There it… goes? Where did it go? How did it vanish like that?"

"I wondered about that too, so I did some research." Harry noted as he looked towards the other end of the pitch. "The Snitch can turn invisible and quadruple its speed, but only if there's no-one within twenty feet of it when it does so. It can only stay invisible for half a minute and needs at least two minutes between cloaks, but that's how it often vanishes."

"How do you remember all that stuff?" Hermione asked in astonishment.

"I have a good memory."

Even though he wasn't looking at her, Harry could almost _feel_ Hermione rolling her eyes at him.

.

"Looks like Krum spotted the Snitch… why didn't he go for it?" Sinistra Vector asked curiously.

"He was too far away and Peltier was a lot closer to it." Flitwick responded to the musing of his fellow professor. "Even though he's got a better broom and more skill, she would probably have got there first. Far better to wait for a better chance."

"You know these things better than I do." Sinistra admitted, then she gasped. "Wow! What a save!"

"Pavlov has boasted that he's at Potter's level." Filius tilted his head slightly. "It looks like he can actually back his claims up somewhat."

"… _and Pavlov throws the Quaffle to Ahlstrom who passes it to Stolt. Stolt  
_ _takes off like a Griffon with its tailfeathers on fire and ducks past Janvier  
_ _who didn't even see her coming! She has a clear run at the Hoops… That  
_ _Bludger came out of_ nowhere _and Stolt forced to evade, ruining her shot!  
_ _Stolt tries to score, but misses the Hoop! Janvier grabs the falling Quaffle  
_ _and passes it to Du'lac!"_

"Come on!" Theseus called out as Krum flashed past overhead, Peltier in hot pursuit as they dived towards the ground. Jinking and swerving to prevent Peltier from overtaking, Krum suddenly pulled up and Peltier spun off to the side, using the superior braking abilities of her Air Wave Gold to turn what would have been a bone-breaking crash into a light touch-down and relaunch.

"The Air Wave certainly has superior braking charms." Minerva noted.

"They're tied into the maneuvering runic array." Theseus sighed as he picked up his half-spilled popcorn and sat back down. "It actually increases maneuverability quite significantly during deceleration, but means that the Broomstick drops slightly in agility as it _accelerates_ or gets close to its top speed. It's good for _technical_ fliers, but for those who use reflex and improvisation like Viktor does tend to find it doesn't react as quickly as they need it to."

"And you know all this… because?" Maxime asked while Hagrid refilled her goblet.

"Who do you think helped Krum research and select the broom he uses?" Theseus smirked, then he frowned. "Come to think about it, chances are that he would have gone for the Firebolt anyway. He did mention that his father recommended it. Something about knowing the designer… huh."

Olympe smirked as she took a sip of her drink, then she lowered her goblet and stared at it.

"Sommit wrong?" Hagrid asked worriedly and Olympe shook her head.

" _Non, c'est incroyablement délicieux!_ What is it?"

"Oh, well, it's a mix of fruit juices I put together." Hagrid blushed slightly. "Wiv bein' a Lord an' all, drinking alcohol ain't a good thing, so I kinda experimented. The kids like it too. It's got Apple, Pear. Strawberry, Raspberry, Dock Leaf and Dirigible Plum juice in it, all diluted with water from the spring. Full o' vitamins an minerals. The Centaurs like it as well, several of 'em help me make it."  
Hagrid paused for a moment, frowning in thought. "Come ta think o' it, they bin askin' where they can get big tanks fer mixin… 'haps they're thinkin' o' makin' an sellin' it."

"If they do, they already have one customer." Olympe smiled before taking another sip.

"… _Du'lac feints and shoots…and Pavlov misses! Ten points to Beauxbaton  
_ _with the first goal of the game and Pavlov is looking_ furious _with himself!_

" _Pavlov retreives the Quaffle and throws it to Stolt. Stolt passes to Olsen  
_ _who heads down the field, swerving round Munter… who sets up a perfect  
_ _Bludger Wake! Olsen goes straight through the other team and peels off at  
_ _the exact moment to avoid Lacroix's attempt to slam the Bludger into her!  
_ _Olsen curves left, rises to the right and Gaston moves to block her… but she  
_ _didn't have the Quaffle! Stolt does a Rising Hawk and lobs the Quaffle into  
_ _the hoop, bringing it to ten points each! What an incredible setup using a  
_ _perfectly-executed Ghost Pass using Munter to shield it!"_

"That was _sneaky_!" Draco shook his head in admiration. "They played on the expectations of their adversaries and took advantage of it… and scored _without_ using one of their normal flashy distraction techniques. Brilliant."

"It looked clever, but _brilliant_?" Pansy asked, taking advantage of Draco's distraction to steal some of his popcorn.

"I saw that." Draco mock-scolded, moving his tub to his other side and earning a pout from Pansy. "And yes, brilliant. The other two schools have been researching their opposition in depth. I'm certain that they have entire folders on each of us, containing our preferred tactics and how we'll react to specific situations. After all, it's what _I_ did.  
"As such, the Durmstrang team _know_ that the Beauxbatons team will eschew the understated moves if they can achieve the same ends with a flashy move, one that preferably shows a high degree of skill and choreography. Durmstrang, on the other hand, prefers to keep things as simple as possible as the more complex things are, the easier it is to disrupt them or have them go wrong. And while Beauxbatons generally assumes that things won't go wrong beyond their ability to salvage the plan, Durmstrang tends to train its students to be willing to abandon a plan as soon as it becomes obvious that it is going to fail.  
"In essence, that means that Beauxbatons is more likely to catch you by surprise if you haven't done your research, but Durmstrang is harder to manipulate since they could simply walk away at any time."

Pansy stared at Draco in near-shock.

"…how?"

"I am a Slytherin, as are you." Draco sighed. "Cunning and Ambition are our creed, but the meaning of Cunning has changed since Salazar's time. _Now_ it means sneaky and covert, but back then? It meant _knowledge_. Know yourself, know your friends, know your enemies. Know everything you can so that you can use it to get ahead. And when it comes to getting ahead, trying to climb up by stamping others down just means that they'll pull _you_ down with them. It's better to get ahead by persuading the others that helping you do so is in _their_ best interests too."

Pansy's stare didn't abate in the slightest and Draco gave her a wry smile.

"My father proved to me that being a _modern_ Slytherin was a path to failure, Pansy. He was always the cleverest man in the room, even when he wasn't. No, I have no wish to go down in infamy like he did. I will forge my own path to the future."

" _Peltier suddenly drops like a stone, turning it into a dive… has she  
_ _seen the Snitch? Krum accelerates too, but he's aiming to the right  
_ _of… Peltier changes course! She's seen the Snitch, and so has Krum!  
_ _Both Seekers going flat along their brooms to pull every bit of speed  
_ _as they hurtle towards the midpoint where the Snitch is currently just  
_ _above the grass… the Snitch goes sideways and both Seekers curve  
_ _to follow… Krum rolls to avoid a Bludger as he closes in, his Firebolt at  
_ _the very limit of its acceleration as he tries to beat Peltier… Oh Merlin!  
_ _They're going to crash! They're going to crash! They're going to… NO!  
_ _Krum_ just _manages to cross in front of Peltier, grabbing the Snitch and  
_ _leaving her with a face-full of bristles! His Firebolt is bucking, but Krum  
_ _manages to put it down with half its bristles missing and holds up the  
_ _Snitch! Krum wins the game!_

" _Twenty points to Beuxbatons, one-seventy to Durmstrang!_

" _Ladies and gentlemen, what a match!_

" _And with that, the Triwizard Quidditch comes to an end._

" _In third place, with no catches and twenty points are Beauxbatons,  
_ _who put up a gallant fight._

" _In second place, with two catches and twenty goal-points are  
_ _Durmstrang who_ almost _scored against Potter!_

" _And Hogwarts wins with two catches and a_ hundred-and-ninety  
 _goal-points, not conceding a single goal!_

" _Congratulations Hogwarts!"_

Minerva leaned back in her chair, smirking in a way that put several of her compatriots in mind of a cat who has drunk a large bowl of cream and it settling down on a bed of fresh canary feathers.

"Well done." Theseus offered, carefully _not_ looking at her satisfied smile. "I'm sure you are very proud of your team."

" _Oui,_ congratulations." Olympe agreed with a sigh. "Your team has proven most worthy."

Minerva's smile somehow changed from satisfied to triumphant without seeming to move.

.

"And thus I get another boost to my reputation." Draco smirked, then he paused as the voice of a background Slytherin somehow carried across.

"Anyone else think we should have had badges?"

Draco blinked. "Why does that sound as if I should somehow recognize it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, a shout-out to the wonderfully funny Harry Potter webcomic My Life As A Background Slytherin at emilymcgovern dot com  
> Go and take a look. You'll never see Snape in the same light again…


	41. Preparations

"What is this?" Cedric asked, looking at the large waist-high maze that had been planted beside the Quidditch pitch.

"It's where the Third Task will be." Ludo Bagman waved one hand at the set of hedges, then paused to return Hagrid's wave as the half-giant looked up from where he was shovelling fertiliser over the roots of the hedges, a task that he was being helped out with by several students who were seeking extra bonus points. "Your mission will be to make your way to the center of the maze, overcoming the various obstacles that will be in your way. Obstacles will include the fact that the Maze will be changing, various magical animals and certain magical obstacles."

"And the seats?" Harry pointed to where large raised seating areas were being constructed around the maze, several of them with what looked like they were going to have restroom facilities or food selling areas underneath.

"We had considered re-purposing the Quidditch Pitch for this, but the number of seats available was too few." Ludo admitted. "Fortunately, White Wing Artificers came to the rescue and so we'll have enough seats for all."

"Looks good." Krum mused. "Quidditch style."

"The seating will be used in the new Chudley Cannons Stadium afterwards." Ludo added, causing Krum and Harry to both look impressed. "What?"

"It's just… instant heritage for their new Stadium." Harry finally managed to put it into words. "And given the relatively low height of the seats, I'd guess that the new stadium will be somewhat recessed into the ground."

"Agreed." Krum grunted. "Those two are for ends of stadium, can tell by curve. Those four for flanking end parts. No middle parts, but those would be above changing rooms and such, so probably being built in place. Simply turn these into Portkey then _Wingardium_ into place. Very clever. Uses lots of magic, but very clever."

"Must be easier than building it on site." Harry noted. "More space and ability to check for errors, then simply transport and secure. Clever. Very clever."

A rustling interrupted him, then Hagrid's voice echoed across the maze-to-be.

"Spades away an' onto brooms!"

As if rehearsed, the assistants shrunk and pocketed their spades, clipped the bags of fertilizer to their belts and unslung their broomsticks, rising quickly into the air, Hagrid amongst them on his custom-built Broom. Below them, the maze writhed with the hedges firing thorn-covered vines upwards several feet before the branches and leaves extended as well, swallowing the vines once more and leaving the hedge at almost shoulder height.

"I take it that trying to cut through the hedges is a bad idea." Harry finally managed.

"… _oui_ …"

Krum stared at the suddenly-expanded maze, then turned away.

"Need to check spells."

"So… how are you planning to deal with this?" Cedric asked as Krum strode back towards the Durmstrang ship and Harry grinned.

"I'm not."

Both remaining Champions stared at him.

"What?" Cedric finally managed to ask. "Why?"

"I have more important things to do." Harry shot back over his shoulder as he walked away.

* * *

.

Harry bowed to his sparring partner, then wiped the sweat off his brow. Pansy Parkinson straightened up, then accepted a towel from Luna with a slight smile of appreciation.

"You're improving really quickly." Harry noted and Pansy paused mid-toweling her hair.

"I practice before heading to bed." She shrugged. "One… what did you call it? Ah yes, one _Kata_ before going to bed. I find it helps me to get to sleep faster."

"Sounds like something I should try." Ginny noted.

"It might help you stop snoring." Luna offered and Ginny blushed.

"I do not snore!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!

"Do they do this often?" Pansy asked curiously as Luna and Ginny began flailing at each other with towels before Hermione seemed to materialize between them, pulling them towards her and catching them in gentle yet firm headlocks.

"Stop acting up,you two." Hermione sighed as she half-dragged the duo off and Pansy watched them depart with an expression of confused disbelief.

"Do they do this often?" She repeated.

"Pretty much every session." Neville shrugged as he went through his cool-down exercises.

"What he said." Harry chuckled, then he strolled over to the case that he had brought with him to the sparring lesson. "Here, I was hoping that you could test this out for me."

Pansy slung the towel over her shoulder, she accepted the device Harry was offering her.

"Ummm, thanks? What is it?"

"You're taking this far more seriously than anyone else, so I thought I'd help you out." Harry shrugged. "You've heard of Penseives, right?"

"I've used one before. Once." Pansy agreed, looking down at the device in her hand. "They're expensive…"

"It's because of the sheer number of runes needed and how small they need to be in order to fit them in." Harry explained. "It takes a very skilled craftsman a long time to carve the runes over a period of weeks with a single mistake forcing them to start all over again with a new bowl. That's why traditional Penseives are so expensive."

"And this…?" Pansy asked.

"That's a first-run model." Harry accepted a towel from Filius who was listening in. "The runes are not carved, they are _stamped_ by machine, allowing for true mass-production."

"This is a… a _Penseive_?" Pansy gasped.

"A limited-use one." Harry shrugged. "It's pre-loaded with a semi-interactive Dojo program where you can learn from a master of various martial arts including _Torquasm Rao_. Use that and you can learn one of the Katas per use. The menu is a set of semi-interactive memories that allow you to select which Kata you wish to practice."

"By Merlin's staff…" Pansy breathed in shock. "That's amazing…"

"Just remember, it'll help you learn the _Katas_ , but it _won't_ help you physically." Harry warned her. "You'll need to practice the _Katas_ in real life, actual sparring too. It only _seems_ interactive."

"Thank you." Pansy managed while still gazing at the device that she held. "But… why?"

"You are devoted to learning it." Harry waved to indicate the others. "Everyone else here is generally learning it because they think it's interesting or they want to keep fit, _you_ are learning it because you want to _master_ it."

"Agreed." Filius nodded. "I've noticed it too."

"Uncle Fil has been testing out the system too." Harry added.

"I've got my own one in my quarters." Filius confirmed. "Being able to get the subtleties of the _katas_ down is useful, but it doesn't provide actual physical improvement by itself."

"If you can suggest improvements or point out problems, it would be appreciated." Harry finished. "Of course, I'll want it back at the end of the year."

Pansy grinned. "Of course."

And if possible, notes on how it could be improved."

"Of course."

.

Pansy sat down and adjusted her pajamas before reaching out and turning the ring at the top of the device. The iris covering the integrated memory bowl opened and Pansy stared at the contents.

Rather than looking like a slightly-glowing white mist with flecks of other colors appearing and vanishing, the bowl was half-filled with what looked more akin to a blue-tinged liquid.

Gathering her courage, Pansy reached out and touched the glowing liquid with one finger.

The universe seemed to fragment around her, then squares of various colors and textures whirled into place around her, leaving her standing in the middle of a large hall. The walls seemed to be made of wood and paper, interposed with large pillars and the occasional freestanding weapons rack while the floor was covered in an odd set of woven rugs that she had never encountered before.

Most of her attention, however, was on the white-clad old man standing before her, his white hair and beard flowing almost down to his waist and his hands folded behind his back.

"Welcome to the Dojo. You may call me Sensei."

"What is this place?" Pansy asked and Sensei seemed to flicker.

"I am sorry. That is a question I am not programmed to answer."

"Oh, okay." Pansy frowned. "Um, what martial arts do you teach?"

"In the unarmed style, I can demonstrate the _katas_ for Aikido, Ba Guar, Beishaolin, Boxing, Horo-Kanu, Huang Gar, Jiujitsu, Karate, Klurkor, Nan pai tanglang, T'ai Chi, Torquasm Rao and Torquasm Vo.  
"In the weapons style, I can demonstrate Bartitsu, Kendo and Torquasm Raoghrys."

As Sensei named each art, a new semi-ghostly figure appeared and went through a quick series of stances before vanishing.

"I… what's _Klurkor_?"

"Klurkor is a hard-style martial art which incorporates acrobatic movements designed to increase the power of the strikes and aid in dodging."

"Sounds interesting." Pansy mused. "Can we try that?"

Sensei flickered again, then were several other people standing in ranks around Pansy, obviously students and one of whom looked a _lot_ like Harry Potter, save for the fact that his hair was light brown rather than black.

"We shall begin." Sensei said, then he bowed slightly before taking a stance. Pansy returned the bow, then duplicated the stance, glancing around to check that she was doing it right.

"Klurkor, first Kata. Beginner level." Sensei intoned, then he began to move and Pansy concentrated on duplicating his movements as best she could.

* * *

.

"Minister! Good to see you again! And even better to see your beautiful wife…"

Cornelius gave a wry chuckle as his wife blushed.

"You never change, do you, Ragmar?"

"You know it." The owner of the Chudley Cannons team smirked proudly. "So, what do you think?"

Cornelius turned and looked out over the almost-completed pitch. Although the seating areas at each end hadn't been installed, the towers had been, as well as the central seating areas with the high-value private boxes and team changing areas underneath.

"Once the last seats are built, this'll be even better than the Teggs Nose pitch." Cornelius finally concluded and Ragmar laughed.

"Oh, the seats have already been built, they're at Hogwarts ready to be used for the final Task before being brought here for installation."

"Really?" Cornelius felt his eyebrows try to bounce off his hat-brim. "But… how will they move them?"

"Mrs Malfoy says that it's already been sorted and not to worry." Ragmar shrugged as he led Cornelius to the main entrance. "Now, come on, let me show you the Ministry Box. It's actually got a fireplace for a Floo at the back, just waiting to be linked up so that you don't have to wade through the crowds to get in… or stagger up long staircases."

"That sounds very useful." Cornelius noted approvingly.

.

"So, Mother, did my idea work?" Draco asked and from the mirror, Narcissa nodded.

" _It did indeed, my son. Using a piece of MageQuartz as a Portkey means that it can indeed move large objects_ and _be re-used. Apparently it can be used up to eight times before it fails."_

"And we only need it to work _six_ times." Draco agreed. "Was it taken from our private stock?"

" _It was."_ Narcissa confirmed. _"Of course, once we get the mine up and running, we will be able to replace it a dozen times over."_

"We'll have to be careful about how we place it on the market, though." Draco mused. "We don't want to drop the price down the well… I'm sorry. I think it's nerves…"

" _Handled correctly, we could even regain the position of Wealthiest Family."_ Narcissa agreed. _"You have every right to feel nervous about it, my son. I do too. I just hide it better."_

"We may need to search for other uses as well." Draco steepled his fingers in thought. "Maybe special stones to expand rooms by being placed in the corners… how would MageQuartz do with Vanishing Cabinets?"

Narcissa looked thoughtful. _"I don't know… I'll have a team put on it."_

"Potter has those expensive Switching Rooms of his which are simply over sized Vanishing Cabinets." Draco smirked. "Imagine how much we could make if we manage to create _doors_ that let one step across the country in a single pace… or even step across the _world_ …"

" _If we could do that…"_ Narcissa breathed, her eyes unfocusing. _"I can think of dozens… no,_ hundreds _of ways people would want to use them… It would change the entirety of Magical Britain!"_

"No, Mother." Draco corrected her. "It would change the world!"


	42. The Final Task

" _Welcome one and all to the third and final Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament!"_ Ludo Bagman's voice echoed out of the loudspeakers set around the arena. _"Let's give a huge round of applause for the four who are about to enter the Maze!  
_ " _Currently in fourth place, Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons who used her musical prowess to gain a perfect score of forty in the First Task against a Catalonian Fireball, but a nest of vicious Grindylows forced her to retire from the Second Task, gaining her only fifteen points, giving her a total of fifty-five.  
_ " _In third place is Hogwarts Champion Cedric Diggory who faced down a Portugese Longsnout in the First Task for thirty-four points while a Bubblehead Charm helped him gain thirty-two in the Second Task, meaning he stands with sixty-six points.  
_ " _Second is Viktor Krum of Durmstrang. Aclose call with an Antipodean Opaleye set him up with thirty-one points while he wowed the audience with a partial self-transfiguration in the Second Task to win thirty-six points, placing him at sixty-seven, a single point ahead of Diggory.  
_ " _And in First is Lord Potter, who used his staff and flying skills to score perfect points in the first round and whose display of clever planning and Atlantean Magic, as well as a great game of chess, netted him five bonus points added to his perfect score, placing him at first with an incredible eighty-five!  
_ " _The points determine the starting order and timing, with each point worth two seconds. Lord Potter will enter the maze first with Viktor Krum following thirty-seconds later, Diggory hot on his heels and Delacour last, having to wait a full minute before entering.  
_ " _The maze itself contains many obstacles, not just limited to the fact that the maze will rearrange itself occasionally. Various magical animals and enchanted traps lie within, ready to be confronted by the Champions, who must make their way to the center where the Tri-Wizard Trophy resides, waiting to be claimed! Should a Champion be injured or find themselves in a situation where they cannot progress, they can signal for aid by firing red sparks into the air.  
_ " _And now the champions line up on the starting line… and Minister Fudge takes the podium, whistle at the ready…"_

Harry looked at the Minister and gave him a nod of professional respect. Fudge seemed to swell slightly with pride.

"Alright, Lord Potter, are you ready?"

"I am, Minister." Harry replied, hiding a smirk.

"Then you shall go on my first whistle. Mr Krum…"

"Da, Krum is ready. Second whistle Krum go."

"…correct. Mr Diggory, are you ready?"

"I am." Diggory nodded. "Third whistle, correct?"

"Indeed." Fudge smiled. "And Miss Delacour, are you ready?"

" _Oui_."

"You will go on the fourth whistle." Fudge lifted the whistle in question from where it was hanging around his neck on a thin, golden chain. "Let the Final Task commence!"

Fudge blew the whistle and Harry strode fearlessly into the maze, then paused as he looked round before releasing a torrent of red sparks from his wand. Fudge dropped his whistle in shock.

"Lord Potter… what are you…?"

"I'm not keen on solving mazes." Harry shrugged as he stepped out of the Maze. "And as I told everyone, I'm not a Champion, so I'm recusing myself so that the three _true_ Champions can compete without me getting in the way."

.

"He didna wanna solve my maze." Hagrid sighed from where he was sat in the Teachers Box.

.

"…oh." Fudge shook his head. "Okay… um…"

"I think you need to be ready to send Viktor in." Harry pointed out and Fudge looked at the display set into the podium before him.

"Oh, right! Yes, indeed. Mr Krum, Mr Diggory, please get ready…"

Viktor launched himself into the maze with Diggory following suit two seconds later, leaving only Fleur and Harry in the starting area.

" _Merci beaucoup, monseur_ Potter _._ " Fleur smiled. "You are very brave to do zis."

"I never wanted to participate." Harry shrugged. "Good luck in there, although I'm afraid I'll be cheering for Cedric.."

" _Merci et je m'attendais à beaucoup._ " Fleur glanced round, then grabbed Harry and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, releasing him and running into the maze as Fudge blew the whistle once more.

"Huh." Harry managed after a moment. "Wonder what that was about."

.

In the audience, a small french girl pouted.

" _Pourquoi ne m'as-tu pas laissé le remercier comme ça?_ " She complained to her mother, who quickly raised her hand to hide a smile.

"Gabrielle…" Her father sighed.

.

"You're really… quitting?" Fudge asked again and Harry nodded.

"I am. I've done what I needed to do to ensure I kept my magic, so I'm stepping aside for those who _wanted_ to be chosen as Champions. Now, if you'll pardon me, I asked my godfather to keep a seat for me."

Fudge slowly nodded. "…alright. I'm heading that way too…"

.

Fleur smirked as she ran along the hedge-lined path. Her little sister had been really annoying lately, going on about how she had been saved by someone who was actually able to plan ahead rather than trying to swim through a nest of water demons. By giving the young Lord a kiss, Fleur had ensured that Gabrielle would stop being a pain and would instead be a source of humor with her pouting and envy.

After all, Fleur was a big sister. Doing things like that was part of the job description.

Turning left, Fleur paused at the sight of a pale blue mist ahead of her.

Her tongue poked slightly out of the corner of her mouth as she began casting analysis spells in an attempt to figure out just what she was facing.

.

"Minister, thank you for bringing my Godson." Sirius energetically shook Fudge's hand, then motioned to a large couch which, along with a couple of chairs, was occupying the slightly raised dais in the middle of the box. From the couch, Cornelius' wife smiled at him, lifting a bottle of _Old Abe's Butterbeer_ and holding it out to him. "Your wife has been very gracious in putting up with me, may I ask you to give her a kiss for me? If _I_ were to do that, I'd probably have a hand-print on my cheek for a _month_."

Almost everyone in range chuckled at Sirius' joke, laughter that grew as Cornelius' wife nodded in agreement. Cornelius himself gave a quick chuckle as he reclaimed his hand and, pausing to pat Harry on the shoulder, moved to the couch where he gave his wife a heartfelt kiss, then nodded in greeting to the Minister of Bulgaria, who was raising his own bottle of _Honet Abe's_ in salute.

"Looks like Cedric's doing well." Harry noted as he accepted a tub of popcorn from Herriet, who curtsuied before _pop_ ping away. "Was that a Boggart?"

"Who knew that Cedric was scared of swans." Remus noted as they watched Cedric stride past what looked considerably like an oven-ready turkey, fully plucked and on a tray.

"Swans _can_ break a man's arm with a single blow from their wing." Harry pointed out, causing Remus to suddenly look much more thoughtful. "Oh! Subtitles?"

"What do you mea… _oh_!" Sirius broke off as he followed Harry's gaze. "That's a Sphinx…"

"Hang on…" Remus squinted slightly at he hovering screen. "Let me read this…

"First think of the person who lives in disguise,  
"Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.  
"Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,  
"The middle of middle and end of the end?  
"And finally give me the sound often heard,  
"During the search for a hard-to-find word.  
"Now string them together and answer me this,  
"Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"

"I hope that Krum's studied English." Sirius mused. "I'd hate for such a good Seeker to be lost to a Sphinx atta… Spider? How?"

"It works." Remus shrugged as the Sphinx regally sidestepped to let the Bulgarian through. "A spy, the letter D, the sound _uh_ … _spider_. You see?"

Sirius leaned back and scooped a handful of popcorn from his tub, then he choked. As Remus slapped his back the help him clear his windpipe, Sirius pointed at the screen.

"…That's an _Acromantula_!"

"Looks like it _isn't_ just Swans that Cedric's scared of." Harry noted as Cedric turned and ran away from the giant spider.

"And that was the shortest way to the Cup." Sirius sighed as he looked at the screen showing the view from above with each Champion having a colored ring around them. "Looks like Krum is going to… no! No! Take that right, you _idiot_! Right! Ri… he's gone straight past it… you can stop hitting me now, Moony."

"Oh, sorry."

.

"Interesting."

Sat beside him, Pansy gave him a questioning look. "Interesting?"

"Using a spell to freeze the entire surface of the pond so that the Kappa couldn't jump up and attack her." Draco motioned to the screen where Fleur was elegantly crossing the newly-frozen pond using the stepping stones. Under the ice, green-skinned beings clawed and snarled at the barrier, trying to get through but failing.

"I suppose that after the Second Task, she's put more thought into dealing with water-related stuff?" Pansy offered and Draco gave her a smile of approval.

"An _excellent_ thought, Pansy. Yes, it would seem that Miss Delacour has taken note of her weaknesses and sought to minimize them. A truly intelligent thing to do."

.

"Krum is certainly very determined." Minerva noted as the Seeker carved his way through a squad of terracotta statues that were trying to attack him. "Those statues were enhanced with some of the runes found on those _things_ that Riddle used, but he's still getting through them."

"He's over-exerting himself." Theseus growled. "Going for the dramatic spells of destruction rather than the ones that would get him past them."

"But he's through." Minerva pointed out as on the screen, Krum paused to mop at the sweat threatening to drip into his eyes.

"And heading into _another_ dead end!" Theseus facepalmed. "Dammit, Viktor! You've gone round the _entire_ maze and…"

On the screen, Viktor stared out of the maze entrance with a confused expression.

"Dammit, Viktor!"

"He's lost." Olympe smirked as the hedges suddenly withered away and the Portkeys attached to the living beings acting as obstacles activated. A moment later, everyone could see Fleur standing by the pillar in the middle of the now-empty field, hoisting the Triwizard Trophy into the air while a dozen feet away, no longer blocked by the hedge, Cedric applauded her. Olympe got to her feet and joined in the applause sweeping the stands, smiling as her student shook hands first with Cedric, then with Viktor who had jogged over to join them.

" _Ladies and gentlewizards!"_ Ludo Bagman's voice echoed across the stands. _"The winner of the one-hundredth and sixty-eighth Tournament is Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!"_

"So Beauxbatons is the best, _oui_?" Olympe smirked slightly.

"Means that you're up to 63, equal to Hogwarts." Minerva pointed out, secretly amused at how Olympe scowled at her. "Well done. An excellent Tournament."

"Still on 42." Theseus sighed dramatically. "Oh well, perhaps in three years, my school will begin to catch up."

.

"Krum not good with mazes." Viktor half-grumped as he glanced up at the now-visible screen showing the different routes the Champions had taken through (or round) the Maze.

"You managed to miss every route to the middle." Cedric marvelled. "Huh, looks like I could have won if I'd got past that Acromantula. I _hate_ those things. Almost as much as I hate swans. A swan broke my leg when I was young."

"That would do it." Fleur winced, then she looked up at the cheering audience. "Victory is so sweet."

"Krum _not_ good with mazes."

.

"Well done, Fleur." Harry clapped hard. "You did well."

"I thought you were cheering for Cedric?" Sirius joked.

"I was." Harry replied with a smile. "But can you say she _didn't_ deserve to win?"

"Good point, pup." Sirius nodded. "Good point."


	43. A Year Later

"…and I think I messed up that question about the _thaumatological resonances_ …" Hermione fretted as Neville guided her to the bench for the end-of-year feast.

"You did fine, Hermione." Harry said soothingly. "Don't worry about it."

Hermione finally sat down, then looked at the Staff Table, her eyes going to the black-draped chair that had until three months ago held the former Headmaster of Hogwarts. Behind the chair, Dumbledore's portrait (moved from the study room beside the library just for this occasion) smiled out at everyone, occasionally making a comment to Minerva or Filius.

The hall quietened down as Minerva rose to her feet.

"Good evening." Minerva began. "Tomorrow you will all be going home for the summer with most of you returning to these hallowed halls of learning. But before our final feast is served, I would like to make a few announcements.  
"Firstly, Professor Dumbledore's will has been read and followed. As Madam Pince can testify, our library has increased in size once more and the Muggleborn Orphans Fund has received a large infusion, helping us to bring into our world more of those who would otherwise be unable to realize their potential with us."

The stern-faced Librarian nodded in confirmation.

"Secondly, the rumors are true. Lord Potter has set a new record for the Defense Against The Dark Arts OWL Bonus Practical, reaching and defeating the five-Auror battle-test. It is a shame that Lord Potter will not be returning for his NEWTs, many of us are intrigued by what he would be capable of after another two years studying under Professor Snape.  
"We are also losing Horace Slughorn who is retiring once more. However, Potions Master Slughorn has indicated that he is moving to Tegg's Nose where he will be opening a small club for budding potions-masters, Auror candidates, Healer-trainees and others who are choosing paths for the good of the Wizarding World. I am sure that we all wish him well in his retirement.  
"For those of you who have taken your OWLs and NEWTs, the results will be owled to your homes in two weeks, or you can log in to the Hogwarts Datasite where you will be able to see your grades as soon as they have been finalized.  
"Thank you, and please, tuck in."

Harry helped himself to some of the rice and lamb curry, passing the plate of potatoes to Neville.

"It'll be odd with you not being here next year." Ginny sighed.

"I do have a _lot_ of work waiting for me and a company to run." Harry pointed out. "I _really_ need to start making actual physical appearences soon."

"I know." Ginny almost pouted. "We'll miss you."

"I've arranged to visit on the weekends to help with the sparring classes." Harry pointed out. "It's not like I'll never be there. Now eat up. I noticed you didn't have much breakfast or lunch."

"Water! Water!" Luna gasped as she dropped the fork that she had used to covertly steal some of Harry's curry.

"Here!" Harry grabbed a nearby jug and poured some of the contents into Luna's goblet. "Diluted Apple juice, it'll cool your mouth better."

Luna managed to grab the goblet and gulped the contents down before exhaling in relief.

"How do you _eat_ that?"

"I guess I'm tougher than most people." Harry joked, causing Luna to sniff.

"You and your heritage! Pfffffsh!"

* * *

.

"Jor-El, I'm home!" Harry called out as he walked out of the Diagon Alley Switching Room into the entry hall of the Pottery.

"Congratulations on passing your OWLs, Lord Potter."

Harry froze as the unexpected voice sounded behind him, then in a blur of movement, he was on the other side of the room, staring at the suited man who was standing calmly in the corner.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"In no particular order," The man said without even a flicker of a smile crossing his face, "I am _very_ good at getting where I need to be. As for who I am… my name is Pete Wisdom. Director of the Extraordinary Intelligence Service, also known as MI Thirteen and which includes what you know as the Department of Mysteries.  
"And I came here today to speak to you about becoming a consultant for a program that I am setting up, one designed to safeguard the United Kingdom and maybe even the whole world.  
"It is called the _Excalibur_ Initiative…"

.

.

* * *

.

.

* * *

.

.

**A Malfoy's Contemplations**

Draco frowned meditatively as he closed the comic book he was reading. After several moments, he nodded firmly.

"I believe that a white suit would work very well indeed." He mused to himself, then he put the book back into its position on the bookshelf and moved to his private study. Stepping through the door, he looked at the collected fragments of armor that had once been wrapped around an Inferi and were now on a workbench, along with several pages of notes.

"…and soon I will have a magical armor of my very own." He smirked as he moved to examine it once again.

* * *

.

* * *

.

**The Chitauri Invasion**

" _I'm bringing the party to you!"_ Tony broadcast as he rounded the corner and Black Widow's eyes widened.

"I… I don't see how that's a party." She managed as the gigantic flying cybernetic serpent pursued their armored team-mate towards them.

.

" _Sir, you need to see this."_

"See what… is that an alien invasion?"

" _Yes sir, in New York."_

"Alert the others and send a message to the Five. If we need to break the Statute to save the world, then let's break it good and hard!"

.

"Send the rest." Loki ordered and above him, the portal shimmered slightly as more of the Chitauri army that had been placed under his command began traversing it. Far below, the assembled heroes looked up, then one of them started snapping out orders.

"Until we can close that Portal up, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you up on that roof. Eyes on everything, call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

"Give me a lift?" Barton asked.

"Better clench up, Legolas." Stark joked as he took a firm grip on Hawkeye's reinforced jerkin and took off.

"Thor, gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You got the lightning, light the bastards up."

As the Thunder God took to the skies, Black Widow gave her team leader an inquisitive look as he continued to give orders.

"You and me down here, keep the fighting on the ground.  
"And Hulk? … _smash_."

.

If anyone had been looking, they would have seen a group of oddly-dressed individuals assembling on the balcony of a penthouse.

"Ladies, gentlemen, last chance to pull out."

"A chance to finally unrepress and pretend that these things are Nargles?" The helmeted girl laughed, wings unfolding from her back as she hefted a staff that shortened itself even as a Mace-head seemed to _unfold_ in a way that human eyes were not equipped to follow, then she shifted her grip and the staff lengthened, the mace-head being replaced by a blade. "I'm ready."

"So am I." The brunette declared, checking that her rune-engraved metal tiara was secure.

"Then let's do this!"

.

The first clue that Loki had about the situation being rather different from that which he had assumed was when a cloud of sentient magic ripped through his flanking escort.

"What the…?" He blinked, turning to look at the falling debris, then his eyes widened in shock as a winged woman swooped past, laughing as she swung a halberd that boasted a blade of light, effortlessly slicing one of the flying Leviathons in half from jaw to tail. Even as he began to raise his scepter to blast her, he was jolted forwards in his seat as his craft suddenly halted in mid-air.

"So, you are the one in charge of this invasion?"

Loki growled as he spun to face whoever had dared to raise his hand against him, then he frowned.

"You… are not human. You feel… I recognize your race! You are… a Kryptonian?"

"I am." Confirmed the man who was holding the chariot motionless mid-air.

"I had thought you all deceased." Loki noted, adjusting his grip. One lunge and he would have a being potentially stronger than his never-damned-enough brother obeying his commands.

"I am the last."

"Well, it is an honor to meet you." Loki smirked. "And welcome to the winning side!"

Loki jabbed forwards, then stared in shock at the broomstick he had just prodded the Kryptonian with. Looking up, he saw the flying man looking to his left. Following his gaze, he saw a red-headed woman triumphantly brandishing his weapon before vanishing in an eye-twisting swirl of magic.

"How did she…?" He sputtered and the man laughed.

"Switching spell, Loki. You are disarmed and your invasion is being defeated. Surrender now. Please."

Loki ground his teeth, then he let out a cry of shock as the Kryptonian ripped his chariot apart, grabbing him by his coat before he could fall.

"Damn you!" He hissed as he witnessed what could only be spellfire ripping through his rapidly-decreasing forces. A shockwave announced his final Leviathon crashing, its head ripped off by the monstrous alter-ego of Doctor Banner.

"Who _are_ you?" He asked as above them, the portal closed.

.

"Thank you, but… Harry? Is that you?" Tony Stark asked, raising his faceplate to get a better look at the powered individuals who had turned the tide.

"You know this man?" Thor asked as he joined them and Stark nodded.

"Yep, this is Harry Potter, the CEO of Evans Enterprises. Stark Enterprises does a lot of work with them, especially in the fields of communication, computing and power generation since we stopped making weapons. Evans Enterprises are the ones responsible for the ability to download an entire cinema-quality film in under five minutes! Heck, one reason that Jarvis is now a true AI is because of Potter's people… heh. _Potter's people_. Gotta remember that. Heck, just before everything went to hell, I finished upgrading my ARC reactor. Turns out that using Palladium was a bad idea, it would have poisoned me. The fact it more than doubled my power output was a bonus."

"Huh." Barton managed, then he glared at the bound-and-gagged form of Loki which Potter was holding in one hand. "You're strong."

"He is also familiar…" Thor mused, circling Harry as Harry's companions hid their snickers. "I _know_ I have encountered one such as you before, yet I know not when."

"Here." Harry held the limp form of Loki out. "Someone had put a control spell on him. I've dissipated it, but I think that he needs a great deal of therapy."

Thor accepted his brother and looked round. "I will need to return to Asgard, yet to do so from here may cause problems. In addition, I must bring the Tesseract back to my Father."

"You mean this thing?" One of the watching young teens asked, holding up the glowing blue cube and Thor's eyes widened.

"You can touch it without activating it? What are you?"

The boy opened his mouth to reply, then paused as he was interrupted by one of the girls who, like him, was clad in a jumpsuit and mask.

"Do we have code-names? I mean, this old guy's Iron Man…"

"Old?" Tony sputtered.

"And the dreamy hunk there's Captain America…"

Tony's annoyance evaporated and was replaced by amusement as Steve Rogers blushed.

"So, do we get cool names?"

"Let's talk about it." The tiara-wearing woman chuckled as she effortlessly corralled the five youngest and started leading them off.

"I wanna be _Thunder_! I mean, we're effectively living storms, right?"

"I think we can work with that…"

"She's a wonder dealing with those five." Harry smiled as the brunette led the teens away. "So, now what?"

"Good question." A new voice stated and everyone turned to see an eye-patch-wearing man stalking up to them, his trench-coat flaring with every step.

"Fury." Tony nodded.

"Sir!" Steve saluted.

"MACUSA just contacted me." Fury ground out. "What the hell were you doing bringing five _Obscurials_ into the USA?"

"They were born in the USA, why _shouldn't_ they be here?" Harry shrugged.

Fury opened his mouth for a moment, then growled as he failed to come up with an answer.

"What's an _Obscurial_?" Tony asked, only for Fury to stalk off. "No , really! What is it?"


End file.
